West Ham United: Michail Antonio goes berserk at Gareth Southgate decision to snub James Ward-Prowse
Michail Antonio has raged at the decision by Gareth Southgate to leave West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse out of his latest England squad.
Speaking on The Footballer’s Football Podcast on Thursday (12 October), the Jamaican international said he is “upset” with the England manager because the 28-year-old has been “unbelievable” for the Hammers and the stats suggest he should be in the side.
The 33-year-old added that he doesn’t like when players who aren’t playing are picked and, if he was Ward-Prowse, he “would not want to play” for Southgate after his latest snub for the games against Australia and Italy.
“I am upset with Southgate,” said Antonio. “The stats say that Ward-Prowse is doing everything week in week out to play for England so it is mad he has not been picked.
“I think that when you are playing at your best you should be rewarded and for me that is England. He has been unbelievable. I understand managers like to pick players they trust, but he has got players in there who are not even playing. I do not like that.
“If I was James now [and got picked], I would not go. I am being deadly serious. There is no bigger honour than playing for your country but I would not want to play for the man. Multiple times he has done everything and multiple times he has been overlooked.”
“It’s embarrassing,” he added.
Everyone is thinking it
There has been an outpour of disbelief over the past week that Ward-Prowse hasn’t been picked for England on the back of his incredible form since signing for West Ham over the summer.
The midfielder has been one of the best players in the Premier League at the start of this campaign after registering two goals and seven assists for the Hammers in his opening nine games at the London Stadium.
Antonio is clearly extremely disappointed for his teammate as he will see on a daily basis what he is doing to put himself in the best position to be selected for the national team.
Southgate has the right to pick who he wants, but it’s disappointing to see players who are getting no game time and ones who are playing in vastly inferior leagues being selected ahead of the in-form Irons player.
But Ward-Prowse does seem like a determined character who will just roll his sleeves and work harder until he eventually does earn his deserved recall to the side.
In other West Ham news, Ferdinand has labelled a decision regarding a Hammers star as “crazy”.