West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek dedicated his goal in a vital 2-1 victory over Wolves to teammate Michail Antonio, who remains hospitalized following a car accident on Saturday.
The 34-year-old forward, West Ham’s all-time Premier League top scorer, underwent surgery for a lower limb fracture on Sunday and is recovering under medical care.
Speaking after the match, Soucek revealed the team had a video call with Antonio before the game. “We played for him,” Soucek said. “He’s in my heart, and I wanted to score for him today.”
The Hammers players warmed up wearing Antonio shirts, and Soucek celebrated his goal by holding up nine fingers to honor Antonio’s shirt number. Jarrod Bowen, who scored the winning goal, held up Antonio’s jersey in tribute.
Bowen praised Antonio’s resilience, calling him “a warrior and a fighter,” while manager Julen Lopetegui reflected on the miracle of Antonio surviving the crash.
Fans joined in with a ninth-minute applause during the game, while the club announced plans to auction signed shirts, with proceeds going to NHS and Air Ambulances UK.
Antonio, a West Ham icon since 2015, is expected to recover and return stronger. Soucek expressed optimism: “He’s one of West Ham’s best. He’ll be back with us soon.”
