Michail Antonio exclusive: West Ham star on 'frustrating' time away with injury - 'It’s quite mind-numbing'

West Ham forward Michail Antonio has told TNT Sports that it has been "quite mind-numbing" on the sidelines this season due to injury.

It has been a difficult campaign for the 34-year-old who suffered a knee injury in November which ruled him out of action until the end of February.

Before the international break, Antonio had been building up his minutes on the pitch and started to regain form after impressing in the 5-0 victory against Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League, before scoring in West Ham's 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.

Although he has slowly started to find his rhythm, the Jamaica international reflected on his time away from the game and said it has been a long journey back to fitness.

"I play football because I love it, I don’t see it as a job as it’s a hobby for me," he said. "So not being able to do a sport that I love is frustrating.

"You’re out there, you come into the training ground, you see the boys training, having fun and you’re in the physio room trying to prepare yourself. It’s quite mind-numbing.

"When you get back, it’s not like you just step back on the field and be as good as you were when you first left. You feel a bit rusty, and that rustiness frustrates you as well because you want to be able to step back on the field and be just as good as you were before you got injured.

"It does take its toll on you and it’s not until you start playing well again when you realise that it was just a time that you experienced."

Antonio is not the first player to look back at how time away from football has had an impact on him. Speaking to TNT Sports earlier this season, Kevin De Bruyne said his injury allowed him to rest, while Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland said it was "horrible".

Antonio stressed the importance of being open about the situation to his inner circle.

"When you come in, the boys say ‘how are you?’ and ‘when are you back?’ They ask those types of questions," he added.

"You’ve also got people outside of football who ask how you are so it’s just having people there to talk. But it’s being able to speak to actually see how you are.

"You can come in and someone can go: ‘Are you alright?’ and you say: ‘Yeah, I’m good’ and then they walk off.

"But some people who I’ve got in my circle will ask: ‘But how are you though? How are you feeling?’ They actually get deep with me. It’s just about being able to open yourself up and letting people in."

Antonio said he has almost recovered from a shoulder problem which he picked up in the game before the international break - against Aston Villa on March 17 - and is looking forward to the return to Premier League action when The Hammers travel to Newcastle on Saturday afternoon, live on TNT Sports.

Newcastle have endured an inconsistent season this term. They are in 10th position in the league and were dumped out of the FA Cup by holders Manchester City before the international break.

Although The Magpies have had their ups and downs, Antonio believes it is a tough time to face them after the round of international matches.

"Before the international break, I would’ve said it’s a great time to play them," he added. "Now, it’s a fresh start for everybody.

"It’s a difficult one to say because you don’t know what type of Newcastle team is going to turn up. We know the qualities that they have, but we know the qualities that we have. It’s just who turns up on the day."

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