West Ham United striker Michail Antonio made an emotional return to the London Stadium ahead of kick-off against Newcastle United on Monday night, three months after he was involved in a serious car accident.
The 34-year-old was hospitalised on 7 December after sustaining a broken leg when his car collided with a tree.
Antonio, who is West Ham’s all-time top Premier League scorer with 68 goals, was visibly moved as supporters welcomed him onto the pitch with a large banner that covered a significant part of the lower tier behind one goal that read, “Michail Antonio – our number 9.”
Although the result didn't go West Ham's way - Bruno Guimaraes netted a second-half winner for Newcastle - it was a heartwarming moment for the fans and head coach Graham Potter to see Antonio at the London Stadium again.
"When you see what Michail Antonio has been through you, it puts things into perspective," Potter said after the match.
"So our focus has always been just making sure he's OK and he's on that recovery road and he obviously gets all the support that he needs from us.
"It's a big thing that he's had to deal with, and he's dealt with it in a fantastic way."
Jamaica international Antonio hasn't played for West Ham since the 3-1 defeat to Leicester City on 3 December.
He recently returned from a 12-day warm weather training programme in Dubai and has been able to resume running.
The Hammers are next in action on 15 March when they face former manager David Moyes, now at Everton.
