By Jack Cunningham

25th Sep, 2021 | 8:30am

West Ham star Michail Antonio praised by Tooting & Mitcham's manager

West Ham striker Michail Antonio has been praised by Tooting & Mitcham’s manager Ashley Bosah and has been described as an “inspiration”.

The 31-year-old has worked his way up from non-league to become the Irons’ all-time top Premier League goalscorer, and Bosah was full of praise for him.

Speaking to the BBC about Antonio’s rise, Bosah revealed that Antonio still visits the club during the summer months and tries to help out his old club in any way he can.

He said: “The relationship between Michail and the club is ongoing.

“He comes in during the off-season and does some fun activities with the youth team – and his family is closely related to the club, so they hold a fun day during the summer.

“That link between him and Tooting & Mitcham is a legacy that is an inspiration around the club and one that has left an imprint here.

Subscribe to Football Insider TV now

“There is a lot of continued development off the back of his legacy – so we’re very proud to be linked to that. He seems to be an inspiration to the generation that came afterwards.”

Brilliant words.

The 31-year-old has played in various positions in his time with the Hammers, but since David Moyes moved him up front, he hasn’t looked back.

Instead, he has become one of the most feared strikers in the Premier League, and very few defences can stop him on his day.

He has been described as “extraordinary” by Paolo Di Canio, and praise doesn’t come much higher than that for anyone in the Claret & Blue [West Ham’s official website].

It is also brilliant to hear that he is still involved with Tooting & Mitcham, and there are a lot of things that some footballers can learn from Antonio because he has made it to the top through his hard work and effort.

There aren’t that many players that start in non-league and end up in the Premier League, but the Irons forward is an inspiration for anyone in non-league, and he just seems like a fantastic person.

In other West Ham news, one player’s agent has made a request to the board.

Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Hammers and more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.