“None of us expected” – Journalist drops Michail Antonio claim at West Ham as injury fears emerge

West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has ‘turned into a player that none of us expected’, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 31-year-old has played large portions of his career on the wing and even at full-back but has flourished in a centre-forward role with the Hammers, particularly over the last two-and-a-half years.

Antonio became West Ham’s first-choice forward at the beginning of 2019/20 and registered 10 goals and three assists in 24 Premier League appearances that season.

The Jamaica international carried that form over into last term, finding the back of the net on the same number of occasions while setting up two further goals in 26 top-flight outings.

His impressive performances fired the east London outfit to a sixth-placed finish in the league, guiding them into the Europa League and transforming the club’s fortunes.

And Antonio initially appeared to elevate his game to new heights in the current campaign, racking up eight strikes and six assists before the new year.

However, 2022 has been somewhat of a struggle for the former Tooting & Mitcham star, with just a further five goal contributions following in this calendar year and had to be substituted with a muscle complaint after just 52 minutes over the weekend.

With West Ham only three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and still in their Europa League last-16 tie against Sevilla, Antonio could once again lead David Moyes’ charges to a memorable finish.

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But while Jones was quick to praise his outstanding exploits, the transfer insider also claimed that they don’t mean he gets to remain at the London Stadium indefinitely.

In an exclusive interview