At the time of the crash, Julen Lopetegui was Antonio’s manager at West Ham but the Spaniard was sacked and has been replaced by Graham Potter.
Being so badly injured while having a new boss appointed at the club concerned Antonio initially.
“That was horrendous for me,” he adds. “I’m not gonna lie, it was one of the hardest things for me, the fact a new manager came in and I wasn’t there to show what I can do, with my contract up at the end of the season.
“It was difficult for me at the time, but the only thing I can focus on is me and making sure I am right.
“One thing I have had to realise is that it doesn’t matter and I can’t rush myself and put myself out there when I am not right because it would make things worse.
“If I rush myself then that will be the reason I didn’t get a contract. As long as I make sure I am right then I know I will have done everything I can.”
West Ham have funded Antonio’s rehabilitation, including a trip to Dubai that involved physio, rest, recovery and meditation.
The club have helped to organise charity initiatives to raise funds for the emergency services involved in rescuing him from the wreckage, including when the entire team warmed up in Antonio shirts before auctioning them off.
Further support came from team-mate Jarrod Bowen who held up Antonio’s shirt when scoring against Wolves at the London Stadium.
And Antonio received a warm reception when he walked on to the pitch at the recent home game against Newcastle while he was off crutches.
“The love feels good,” he continues. “When I got into football, I did it as a hobby and didn’t support any clubs.
“Now I am definitely a West Ham fan. What the club did for me, the support they gave me on and off the field, the hospitals and the specialists, was unbelievable. I thank the club, the fans, the emergency services, the people around me.”
And on being stopped in the street by fans eager to know if he will return, he adds: “I like that people care enough to come and ask me the question, so I don’t mind repeating it 1,000 times. The goal is to be back scoring goals.”
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