‘He’s better than that’ – Michail Antonio called out by Simon Jordan for ‘ridiculous statement’

Simon Jordan has blasted Michail Antonio for his ‘ridiculous’ and ‘self-indulgent’ claims clubs view players as ‘meat’. Antonio, who is a free agent after being released by West Ham United, made headlines when he told FourFourTwo ‘loyalty in the game has really gone’. Antonio does not believe there’s any loyalty left in the modern gameGetty The Jamaica international’s release brought an end to his decade-long stint with the Hammers, although it came after the club helped him return to fitness following a horrific car crash which left his leg broken in four places. West Ham had delayed their decision on Antonio’s future as he recovered from injuries sustained in the crash and even let him feature in a pre-season match for a Hammers youth team before his release. Despite the gesture, Antonio took aim at what he perceived to be a sorry state of affairs regarding clubs and players in the modern game. “Obviously I was at West Ham for ten years, like all these players, that [loyalty] doesn’t really last anymore, and I feel rightly so, because at the end of the day, clubs no longer treat players like they used to either,” Antonio said. Antonio added: “We are meat to them. As soon as we start going stale, it’s time to sell or throw away. “Before, if a player was at a club for a few years, you see the human side of that player. “Now it’s all about money and how much money can they make the club. “And that’s where it’s got to, so if a club is going to think about the money side of things, why shouldn’t a player?” How did Jordan respond to Antonio’s comments? But speaking on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan, the former Crystal Palace owner couldn’t have disagreed more with the ex-Hammer. “In this day and age, where players are being turned into multimillionaires overnight, who are afforded the kind of luxuries and courtesies and support around them like never seen before, I think it’s a ridiculous statement to make,” Jordan said. talkSPORTJordan was not a fan of what Antonio had to say[/caption] “I think it’s ridiculous, self-indulgent, narcissistic old claptrap.” Jordan added Antonio’s comments ‘tells me what kind of person he is’, which left the former ‘disappointed.’ “He had a very good run at West Ham,” Jordan said. “There were times I understood he wanted to leave West Ham because there were certain circumstances in his personal life where he needed more money and he was trying to engineer a move out the door. Where was his loyalty then? “The fact that West Ham came back around again and gave him what he needed to be able to supplement the finances he needed in his private life is a different dynamic. “I would imagine, it’s an assumption on my part here, that it’s (Antonio’s comments) based upon the fact that he didn’t get a new contract at West Ham. Michail Antonio's West Ham career in numbers Games played: 323 Goals: 83 Assists: 42 UEFA Conference League winner (2022/23) Premier League Player of the Month (July 2020, August 2021) UEFA Conference League Team of the Season (2022/23) “West Ham didn’t crash his car, he did. He put himself in that situation.” Does Antonio plan to retire after his West Ham exit? Antonio has since found a new role following his release from the Hammers as he signed on to become a part of TNT Sports’ football coverage for the upcoming season. Despite the foray into punditry, Antonio revealed exclusively to talkSPORT he has no immediate plans to hang up his boots just yet. When asked whether his new TNT Sports role meant he was eyeing up retirement, Antonio replied: “No, definitely. I’m speaking to clubs right now to see where the best offer is for me to go, and we’ll just see how it goes. As for the level he is hoping to play at, Antonio said: “To be honest, there’s a mixture. “We’re talking to clubs here, we’re talking to clubs abroad, but I’m going to leave it very vague – talk to clubs in England and abroad.”

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‘He’s better than that’ – Michail Antonio called out by Simon Jordan for ‘ridiculous statement’

Simon Jordan has blasted Michail Antonio for his ‘ridiculous’ and ‘self-indulgent’ claims clubs view players as ‘meat’.

Antonio, who is a free agent after being released by West Ham United, made headlines when he told FourFourTwo ‘loyalty in the game has really gone’.

Antonio does not believe there’s any loyalty left in the modern game

The Jamaica international’s release brought an end to his decade-long stint with the Hammers, although it came after the club helped him return to fitness following a horrific car crash which left his leg broken in four places.

West Ham had delayed their decision on Antonio’s future as he recovered from injuries sustained in the crash and even let him feature in a pre-season match for a Hammers youth team before his release.

Despite the gesture, Antonio took aim at what he perceived to be a sorry state of affairs regarding clubs and players in the modern game.

“Obviously I was at West Ham for ten years, like all these players, that [loyalty] doesn’t really last anymore, and I feel rightly so, because at the end of the day, clubs no longer treat players like they used to either,” Antonio said.

Antonio added: “We are meat to them. As soon as we start going stale, it’s time to sell or throw away.

“Before, if a player was at a club for a few years, you see the human side of that player.

“Now it’s all about money and how much money can they make the club.

“And that’s where it’s got to, so if a club is going to think about the money side of things, why shouldn’t a player?”

How did Jordan respond to Antonio’s comments?

But speaking on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan, the former Crystal Palace owner couldn’t have disagreed more with the ex-Hammer.

“In this day and age, where players are being turned into multimillionaires overnight, who are afforded the kind of luxuries and courtesies and support around them like never seen before, I think it’s a ridiculous statement to make,” Jordan said.

Jordan was not a fan of what Antonio had to say[/caption]

“I think it’s ridiculous, self-indulgent, narcissistic old claptrap.”

Jordan added Antonio’s comments ‘tells me what kind of person he is’, which left the former ‘disappointed.’

“He had a very good run at West Ham,” Jordan said.

“There were times I understood he wanted to leave West Ham because there were certain circumstances in his personal life where he needed more money and he was trying to engineer a move out the door. Where was his loyalty then?

“The fact that West Ham came back around again and gave him what he needed to be able to supplement the finances he needed in his private life is a different dynamic.

“I would imagine, it’s an assumption on my part here, that it’s (Antonio’s comments) based upon the fact that he didn’t get a new contract at West Ham.

Michail Antonio's West Ham career in numbers

Games played: 323

Goals: 83

Assists: 42

UEFA Conference League winner (2022/23)

Premier League Player of the Month (July 2020, August 2021)

UEFA Conference League Team of the Season (2022/23)

“West Ham didn’t crash his car, he did. He put himself in that situation.”

Does Antonio plan to retire after his West Ham exit?

Antonio has since found a new role following his release from the Hammers as he signed on to become a part of TNT Sports’ football coverage for the upcoming season.

Despite the foray into punditry, Antonio revealed exclusively to talkSPORT he has no immediate plans to hang up his boots just yet.

When asked whether his new TNT Sports role meant he was eyeing up retirement, Antonio replied: “No, definitely. I’m speaking to clubs right now to see where the best offer is for me to go, and we’ll just see how it goes.

As for the level he is hoping to play at, Antonio said: “To be honest, there’s a mixture.

“We’re talking to clubs here, we’re talking to clubs abroad, but I’m going to leave it very vague – talk to clubs in England and abroad.”