Hodgson would be mad not to consider this West Ham star for Euro 2016
Although Slaven Bilic and his West Ham United outfit saw fit to splash out £7 million on the largely untested and relatively unknown Championship wide-man before the close of the summer transfer window, Michail Antonio has blossomed into one of the most influential players at Upton Park in recent weeks.
The 25-year-old former Nottingham Forest winger had to wait for his chance before firmly implementing himself within Slaven Bilic’s first team plans this season, but since registering a string of well taken finishes in front of the Hammers faithful, this is a player few genuine West Ham fans would want to see the back of any time soon.
So with thoughts of the English national side and their potential to impress on the international scene, would Roy Hodgson be mad not to include Michail Antonio in his plans for Euro 2016?
Despite recently seeing his name linked with a possible England call-up over the past few weeks, it remains difficult to envisage Hodgson ever taking such a gamble on the up-and-coming Hammers man, even if the likes of Raheem Sterling and Theo Walcott haven’t exactly set the world alight this term.
When it comes to getting himself in promising positions, displaying sheer tenacity down the flanks, and also scoring an impressive range of goals, Michail Antonio has certainly shone for West Ham in 2015/16.
The bustling wide-man very rarely shirks his defensive responsibilities in Slaven Bilic’s side either, which may go down as somewhat of a rarity in most attacking players in the modern era.
Antonio has even dropped in at right-back whenever the circumstances have required him to do so this season, and the former Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest man has subsequently received praise for his versatility throughout the 2015/16 campaign, as well as his aforementioned quality in front of goal.
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The Hammers winger doesn’t quite replicate anything close to the finished article, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Roy Hodgson couldn’t find an important use for the 25-year-old at Euro 2016 this summer.
He may still represent a very raw asset who isn’t the most technically gifted front-man to ever grace the Premier League, yet via such unpredictability inside the final third for West Ham this season, Michail Antonio has thrived quite significantly of late.
His hunger for goals has been infectious at Upton Park. The East-End crowd have most definitely taken to Antonio’s tireless exploits out on the pitch for their side in recent weeks, allowing the rest of Slaven Bilic’s starting XI to also feed off his impressive energy levels all across the park.
Antonio therefore deserves a certain amount of consideration from Hodgson this summer. Although both Mark Noble and Aaron Cresswell have also been singled out for a possible call-up to the Three Lions squad this summer, Antonio’s potential to hit the ground running at Euro 2016 arguably arrives with the most potency.
Whilst he must indeed continue his fine form in front of goal between now and the end of the campaign, perhaps England need someone with Antonio’s pace and power in their ranks this summer, even if his possible presence at the tournament only serves to offer Roy Hodgson an extended range of options from the bench.
In the end, Antonio isn’t quite nailed on for a definite spot at Euro 2016 at this particular stage in the season, but if the likes of Andros Townsend, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian or even Manchester United’s recently established Marcus Rashford ever come close to being selected for the Three Lions this summer, surely West Ham’s 25-year-old powerhouse deserves a shout too.
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