Jarrod Bowen reveals West Ham players' reaction to Michail Antonio's horror Ferrari crash – as he insists Hammers star will 'be back stronger'

Jarrod Bowen has lifted the lid on the West Ham squad’s reaction Michail Antonio’s horror Ferrari crash which has left him hospitalised. 

Antonio, 34, had to be cut free from his £260,000 Ferrari after it collided with a tree in Essex on Saturday and he later underwent surgery on a fractured leg.

The crash, which occurred in Epping Forest, saw Antonio end up his passenger seat and he was trapped for more than 45 minutes while fire crews attempted to free him.

West Ham confirmed on Saturday night that he was in a stable condition.

Now, prior to their clash against Wolves on Monday night, Bowen has revealed how the rest of the West Ham squad reacted to the news. 

Speaking on Sky Sports, Bowen said: ‘It’s been one of those things that you never think you’ll be involved in. He’s been here longer than I have. Everyone loves him. 

Photos have emerged of a smashed Ferrari, reportedly showing the aftermath of the incident

Jarrod Bowen (right) has lifted the lid on the West Ham squad’s reaction Antonio’s horror crash

‘He’s a big character. Those few hours on Saturday were difficult, when we got the news and we were waiting for the news. 

‘He’s not just a team-mate, he’s a friend of ours. He’s been a friend of ours for years. A dad as well to beautiful children. You see the support. 

‘I just want to say thank you for all the support. As captain, I’ve seen all the messages and all the support he’s got. It’s one of those things where life is bigger than football sometimes. 

‘It was one of those where everyone came together. For me, I truly appreciate that and I know everyone here appreciates that. 

‘But the main thing now, he’s safe and he’s well. He’s here to tell the story. He’s a warrior, he’s a fighter. He always has been throughout his career. It’s why I know he’ll be back stronger from this’.

Meanwhile, during Sky’s pre-match analysis, former West Ham striker Jermain Defoe also provided his opinion on the matter.

He said: ‘It must be huge and I think you’ve got to use that in the right way. There’s no better sort of motivation, if you like, to go and win the game for him. 

‘You’ve seen it over the years when players get bad injuries, players come out and they’re wearing t-shirts. That’s the incentive to go and win the game. 

Bowen insisted that Antonio (right) will 'be back stronger' after his horror crash

'He's a massive character. I'm sure the football world is praying and hopefully he gets home safe to his family because obviously there's more important things than football. 

'But of course he'll be a miss, not just on the pitch but in terms of the characters in the changing room, that's huge as well'. 

Back in October, both Bowen and Antonio sat down for an exclusive interview with Mail Sport where the latter spoke on his affection for the east London side.

‘One thing I’ve realised with this club is that the fans demand a lot,’ Antonio said. ‘They always want us to win every single game and that’s understandable.

‘But where we are right now, with the transition stage that we’re going through, learning a completely different style of football.

‘What we’ve learned over the last four years playing under David Moyes, he (Lopetegui) wants to play a completely different structure.

‘We want to play more expansive, we want to keep the ball more. Because we’ve been playing a certain way for so long, learning something new is not just going to happen overnight. You can see a lot of positives in the games that we have been playing'.

Back in October, both Bowen and Antonio sat down for an exclusive interview with Mail Sport

‘We’re not getting the results that we want but if people give us a bit of time to learn the way that we’re playing, I think we will come good because I see the positives, I see how we’re keeping the ball better.

‘Even the League Cup game where we lost 5-1 against Liverpool, I think there were certain stages in the game where we were keeping the ball, popping it around them, putting pressure on them and creating good opportunities.

‘If it was all negatives then I would understand why people would get frustrated. But right now, I think there’s so many positives that are coming from the games. If you give us a bit of patience and a bit of time, things will come good and we will be pushing for the top again.’

Bowen was named West Ham captain by Lopetegui during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.