West Ham ace Michail Antonio reacts to what Roy Keane said: ‘Dinosaur mentality’
West Ham striker Michail Antonio has hit back at comments from Premier League legend Roy Keane, arguing that his BBC podcast ‘The Players’ Channel’ is not a distraction.
Speaking after Keane said on the Stick to Football podcast that current professionals appearing on podcasts “can be a distraction”, Antonio dismissed the Manchester United great’s “dinosaur mentality.”
Antonio, who was alongside Fulham captain Tom Cairney on The Players’ Channel for the BBC, disagreed with Keane’s stance and argued that many current Premier League players engage in other ventures outside of the game.
The West Ham forward said: “It’s dinosaur mentality because when (Keane) was playing, every manager, every fan, everybody, constantly said, ‘Focus on your football. Go to sleep with a football in your arms – the only thing you’re allowed to think about is football’.
“Now, obviously footballers are focusing on their football, can do their football, but can also focus on other things: business, fashion, some are rappers now.
“If I’ve got time to do this then why shouldn’t I?”
No distractions as West Ham look to reverse Premier League form
West Ham’s season has begun to unravel in recent weeks, exiting Europe to Bayer Leverkusen and winning just one of their last seven Premier League matches.
The Hammers have lost their last two league matches, including a 5-2 demolition by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, and despite Antonio scoring in the first half with West Ham already 4-0 down, it was only his fifth goal of an injury-hit campaign.
The 34-year-old has made 28 appearances in all competitions for David Moyes’ side, but has been superseded as West Ham’s main attacking threat by Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, both of whom are in double figures for the campaign.
With just four matches left on the Premier League calendar, and a place in next season’s European competitions still within West Ham’s reach, Antonio will know that the time is now for him to prove Keane wrong and fire the Irons back towards where they want to be.
In other West Ham news, Vincent Kompany’s name has been mentioned with regards to the Hammers’ job.
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