West Ham's Michail Antonio reveals he is having therapy after ‚'disliking football'

[wils]

"https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/05/16/west-ham-michail-antonio-therapy-disliking-football/ Antonio reveals how off-pitch problems left him ‘mentally drained’ and hoping he would get injured so he didn’t have to play West Ham striker Michail Antonio has revealed he is having therapy after falling out of love with football. The 34-year-old, who was called up for England early in his career but now represents Jamaica, has opened up about how the end of his marriage and childhood trauma left him with mental health struggles and unable to celebrate West Ham’s Europa Conference League final victory last season. Speaking on the High Performance Podcast to presenter Jake Humphrey and author Damian Hughes, Antonio has revealed how off-pitch problems left him “mentally drained” and hoping he would get injured so he didn’t have to play. “I just started disliking the game. I began therapy because I was really struggling,” Antonio said. “I was going through my divorce and stuff, and I honestly couldn’t get my head around it. After we won (the Europa Conference League), the whole team went out, the gaffer went out, got steaming, a couple of boys didn’t sleep for two days, just got drunk for two days – I was asleep on the coach and went back to the hotel. “I was just mentally drained because of everything that was going on outside of my football and then I went back to the hotel and went to sleep while everyone was out partying.” Antonio’s issues spiralled around Dec 2022 when he realised that he was no longer enjoying football. While playing with Jamaica offered him something of an escape, he hoped injury would strike to prevent him having to return to the Premier League – only for a medial ligament injury to bring a reality check that he was unlikely to get a new contract unless he stepped up his game. To compound matters, Antonio also split up with wife Debbie Whittle after they married in 2017. Antonio sought the help of the club’s medical staff while West Ham and the Professional Footballers’ Association were also able to offer specialist counsellors, but Antonio branched out to find his own therapist. “I started therapy because I was really struggling. And how I grew up, it was never a thing,” he said. “I thought therapy was for crazy people. But therapy changed my life. At first it was awkward, I’m not going to lie. You’re sat in the room, someone was there and goes, ‘How are you?’ “And your natural response is ‘Fine’. So he’s like, ‘So why are you here?’ I was like, ‘To be honest, like, football, I’m struggling with football, I split up with my missus’.” He added: “My life was a bit turned upside-down because obviously I’m splitting up with my missus, my wife, and also, I’m not performing on the pitch and things are just not going well for me. “And then I’m a person where I’d never cry. And as I was talking to him, I just burst into tears. It was uncontrollable. That gave me some type of relief. And then like my chest felt like clear.” Antonio also explained how childhood experiences had shaped his mistrust of people after he was betrayed by those he thought were close to him. “There were certain things that happened in my childhood,” he said. “Let’s just say I struggled to make friendships when I was in primary school. There was no one that was, I would say, my best friend until I was like 12 and then that person kind of left. “When I was 14, I thought these people were my friends, these guys end up stealing a bike. The people got caught with the bikes. “They grouped up and said ‘Michail did it’. I’ve been friends with them for three years, going to school every day with them, so it just made me mistrust people.”"

[scott_d]

What kind of person cheats on his wife (more than once from what some are saying on her) and then goes to the press about how down he has been about losing his wife? It doesn't sound like he's taking any responsibility for his actions.

[simon.s]

I shouldn’t imagine his Mrs was feeling too great during all of this either.

[goose]

Women eh? Can’t live with them……

[Hammer and Pickle]

"What makes you happy all the time? Attend to your real needs. Think less and feel more. Do therapy if you are having trouble getting clarity on your real needs. If you are clear on what the right thing is, don’t hesitate to do it."

[BRANDED]

Shagging birds brings temporary happiness. Having loads of wedge brings some happiness. If you’re unhappy you are following the wrong path or you need your head adjusted. The big question is What makes you happy all the time?

[bruuuno]

To be fair to him it must be awful to be thrown out by your mrs when you have family. Recently happened to a mate of mine (caught shagging the kids tennis coach). Must turn your life completely upside down

[joe royal]

"He got caught shagging and his wife fucked him off, now he’s crying mental health. Source? One of the girls is a friend of my niece. There was more than one girl involved."

[Lee Trundle]

Has anyone else worked out the common factor between the struggles Antonio is having and the struggles Gary Speed had? There's your main reason for all this mental health concerns amongst men.

[fraser]

"Not the biggest fan of his massive gob, but nothing wrong with what he's said and if it helps someone else fair play to him. On the other hand his claim that if the title goes to the last day Arsenal will win it.."

[mashed in maryland]

"TheBoleynBoy 2:17 Fri May 17 Yep and if he was up there saying ""yeah my life is fucking great I'm loaded and live the dream"" everyone would be calling him arrogant"

[Ron Eff]

"Yeh, although I guess the obvious difference is this is entirely circumstantial depression. He was sad because his wife was divorcing him for possibly playing away, if what some are alleging is true. Everyone gets sad when something material happens in their life. Gary Speed’s issues seemed far deeper rooted. Unexplainable sadness, genuine depression."

[Alfs]

"Well said, TBB, and an excellent example."

[TheBoleynBoy]

"People having a go about him speaking up are strange. He’s a footballer, he’s loaded, he shouldn’t have problems when this that and the other is happening elsewhere etc etc Gary Speed was all these things and he topped himself. Money has fuck all to do with it."

[bruuuno]

BONKERS BRUNO

[The Fonz]

"Big fan of Antonio. Top goal scorer for us in the Prem (until Bowen overtakes), scored loads of important goals over the years and under Moyes we have always looked better with him then without. Not a fan of his podcasts and he has said a few things I disagree with but I will cut him some slack as he normally gives 100% on the pitch. Hope he gets his head sorted soon. I would like to see him in and around the squad for another season."

[Massive Attack]

"That's the way I also viewed it, Iron Duke. Frank Bruno is another openly talking about his mental struggles in the past as well via the Clubs outlets and see it all as a healthy way to raise awareness for those struggling themselves. Money is a total irrelevance to someone's mental struggles, it effects any poor cսnt who succumbs to it and see fuck all wrong with anyone who has experienced it, coming forward with their experience. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/XMnYW5Um3umM1Gxw/ Fair play, I say."

[Nutsin]

He’s just upset Moysie has gone.

[Nutsin]

He’s just upset Moysie has gone.

[Vexed]

"Raising awareness that people get sad sometimes? Well thanks Mick son, I dont think I would have realised without you mate."

[Iron Duke]

"Lots of people have mental health struggles. Someone like Antonio, who is in the limelight, talking about it raises more awareness and might help others seek help. Also, it is Mental Health Awareness Week so obviously it is a talking point. I don’t see anything wrong with Antonio talking about it. How much money he earns is irrelevant."

[Vexed]

"chim chim cha boo 11:25 Thu May 16 Turn it in. If there's any group of people in the world with fuck all to moan about then footballers must reside somewhere near the very top. Piss easy life, doing something you love doing. Poor bloody Antonio, and they say nurses have it tough. If you're a footballer and you're struggling with life then you're just not cut out for it, you'd be dead already if you had to do any real graft. It has to be the easiest existence there is. So if they are struggling with their 'mental health' they should shut the fuck up about it, get whatever fuckin hugs they think they're owed by someone, get 'better' and get on with living their fucking piss easy life. Dont expect anyone to feel sorry for you, you silly pampered cսnt Antonio."

[Hammer and Pickle]

Pushed into therapy? Pathologised and pigeon-holed? Sounds like the diametric opposite of therapy. What on Earth went wrong?

[Vexed]

"Massive Attack 9:46 Thu May 16 Everytime the bloke opens his mouth he's an embarrassment to the club. Fucking cringe celebrations, his fucking needy 'aren't I a fucking card' post match interviews, his obsession with doing podcasts and talking shit. Blokes an idiot. However smashing a lambo through the front of someone's gaff dressed as a snowman is fucking legendary."

[chim chim cha boo]

"Alfs 10:01 Thu May 16 Completely agree with you. NOT having money makes you unhappy but anyone who thinks that having money automatically brings blissful happiness obviously hasn't had money. It really shouldn't surprise me how ignorant some of you are, especially about mental health but somehow I STILL get surprised."