Participation in TNT Sports, West Ham’s expectations, and why England must choose Jarrod Bowen for the World Cup

The 35-year-old joined the team this season to compensate for domestic and European football.

Ahead of the new campaign, Antonio expressed excitement about bringing his character to the TV screen and his constant interest in the media.

Jamaica International also spoke about his time at West Ham, the club that has spent 10 years and has become the highest scorer of all time in the Premier League.

“I’m very excited to be part of TNT Sports,” Antonio says. “I always knew that I wanted to be a presenter and go to TV. They gave me the opportunity, and I look forward to it.”

Antonio has always been box office entertainment during his football career. Whether it’s on the pitch with his amazing forward play and unforgettable celebrations or his sincerity during interviews with the media.

He is now ready to show off his skills with the microphone in front of the camera.

“It’s the freedom you have in the media I like,” he explains. “I like to be on TV too. You get the opportunity to express your opinion, and that’s what I look forward to.

“I really didn’t want to go to something that was 9-5 or become a coach from 8am to 8pm. I’ve been in football for a very long time, going from football players to managers and coaches.

“I feel like TV suits my personality and want to do something I really enjoy.

Antonio is used to dealing with changes as a professional footballer.

During his 10-year spell at West Ham, the forward played under four different managers – if Graham Potter included, it includes two spells under David Moyes and five coaches, but Antonio didn’t appear under him.

The soccer landscape is constantly changing, and Antonio points to the key from stepping up from non-league to the heights that play a starring role in the top flight.

“Every week is unstable because football games aren’t the same,” he explains.

“Many people in non-league football have quality, but they’re not as consistent as they continue to do. You need to find consistency in the Premier League, and the only way to do that is within yourself.

“You can’t rely on your manager or owner. You have to rely on yourself and do what you know you can. As an expert, it will be easier for you.”

Antonio praised former club teammate Jarrod Bowen, claiming that it was “crazy” not included in his latest England team.

Despite contributing 13 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League last season, the forward was removed from the England match against Andorra and Senegal at the end of the campaign.

Antonio has asserted that Bowen deserves a chance to play for his country at next year’s World Cup.

“I think he should have been called to the final team anyway,” he says. “It’s weird that he wasn’t called when he was in his best condition.

“I feel like some coaches find it easier to call people playing for bigger clubs than actually playing people playing for bigger clubs than to perform best.

“Hopefully he’s called because he’s the one who creates something from nothing. He pops up with a goal that’s annoying me because he’s always coming for my record.”

Bowen only scores 12 more times to match Antonio’s record as the highest scorer ever in the Premier League, and there’s only one way to stop West Hamskipper from achieving that feat.

“I think he needs to move,” laughs Antonio. “What he did with the club was incredible, but he’s done enough. The quality he has, he needs to play for the top four clubs… I’m not kidding.

“Obviously West Ham fans will be mad at me, but I’m trying to protect my record and I’m trying to help him. At the end of the day with his quality he needs to win something.

The Hammers withstanded a disappointing campaign from last season, finishing 14th in the league table, replacing Julen Lopeteguy with Graham Potter during the campaign.

The team’s form struggled to pick up after the management change, but with impressive away wins at Arsenal and Manchester United, Antonio is sure West Ham can compete for the European spot.

“If we’ve been putting statistics since last season, Potter seemed worse than the crazy Lopetegi,” he said. “But we are now heading for a new season, and our team wants to go back to Europe.

“In the last decade at West Ham, we’ve done one season well and the next year hasn’t been very well. Last year was a recession year, so this time I want to stop by again and go back to the European tournament, whether it’s Europe or the conference league.”

The Brazilian has been under investigation since August 2023, and his former teammate believes the incident hit his game as he faced a lifetime ban from football.

“He knows the fact that it really affected him, so he hid it well,” explains Antonio. “I know that definitely had an impact on his football, because before that happened, he was quality for us.

“He is number 10 and in that position you need to be free and you don’t have to think about what you’re doing.

“Everything he did was off the cuffs, so the fact that he had something very heavy on him feels like West Ham’s new signature after the decision.

Antonio also gave advice on what he needs to play at the top level for a long time, breaking down the importance of thinking in the game.

“It’s very difficult for a football player. When you’re playing the game, your mind should be free, because that’s when you’re producing the best football. If you’re playing freely, there’s nothing to distract you and block your path.

“If there’s something in your head, you have to be overly focused and then you need to take away your natural abilities, but that’s an important aspect that gives you the quality to become a professional soccer player in the first place.

“If you’re forcing things now, it’s not natural anymore, and if I’m an example of myself, if I have that way of thinking, I’m no longer Michelle Antonio, I’m someone else now.”