West Ham forward Michail Antonio has revealed this week that he is having therapy to help battle mental health issues and TalkSPORT’s Alan Brazil has stated that it would be ok if the footballer quit the sport this summer.
On the latest episode of the High Performance Podcast, the Hammers star opened up about his recent mental health struggles and his revelations have sparked people to send the 34-year-old messages of support.
Antonio stated on the podcast that he divorced his wife last year and at the same time fell out of love with football amid a period of extreme fatigue.
West Ham won the Europa Conference League last season and the forward admitted that he couldn’t even enjoy the moment, going to bed while the whole squad celebrated their achievement.
Mental health is an issue several footballers struggle with but are afraid to open up about, and many will surely be inspired by Antonio.
Speaking about the West Ham star’s story, talkSPORT pundit Alan Brazil has stated that it would be ok if the 34-year-old quit football this summer to look after himself.
Alan Brazil tells West Ham’s Michail Antonio to take a break from football
“What I would suggest, he’s a Premier League footballer and I don’t know the ins and outs of his divorce which is difficult and it’s sad, but he’ll have a lot of money I’m pretty certain. So if football’s affecting your mental health, you’re not happy, it’s ruining your life then stop doing it,” the pundit said on talkSPORT.
“Just have a month off and go to a beach somewhere and have a think, forget football and chill. Think ‘What do I want to do in the next 30-40 years?’. That’s what I’d do.
“If he decides to call it a day, he’s had a brilliant time so quit and walk away and regroup. He doesn’t have to worry about his bills where many people who struggle with mental health do.”