Michail Antonio has hit out at Roy Keane‘s ‘dinosaur mentality’ after the Manchester United legend criticised players who host podcasts.
The West Ham striker has co-hosted the BBC Sounds Footballer’s Football podcast since 2021 along with Callum Wilson, and more recently, Fulham captain Tom Cairney.
Keane, without mentioning any names, told the Stick to Football podcast: ‘I think that [podcasts] can be a distraction for a player, particularly if you’re on the back of a defeat, and you’re in the next day and everyone is having a bit of a laugh.
‘I don’t think you should laugh for a week or two if you’ve been beaten.’
Speaking on his latest podcast, Antonio in response has slammed the Sky Sports pundit’s ‘dinosaur mentality’ and insisted that current footballers focus on more than just the game itself, compared to Keane’s playing days.
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He said: ‘It’s dinosaur mentality because when he [Keane] was playing, every manager, every fan, everybody, constantly said, ‘Focus on your football. Go to sleep with a football in your arms – the only thing you’re allowed to think about is football. Your wife deals with your kids, don’t play with your kids – football.’
‘That’s what it was when he was playing. Obviously in time players who played with him went bankrupt because all they did think about was football and that’s all it was.
‘Now, obviously footballers are focusing on their football, can do their football, but can also focus on other things: business, fashion, some are rappers now. People focus on other things.
‘If I’ve got time to do this then why shouldn’t I? With the podcast I understand that if you’ve got battered on the weekend – which I did – it’s not a thing about being sad for two weeks because there’s another game coming next week. You’re meant to forget what happened on the last weekend and make it better the next week.
‘That’s why a lot of players struggle with mental health problems because people are telling them they’re meant to struggle for two whole weeks because they got battered on the weekend. No, you deal with it. You are sad when you leave and for that night.’
His comments come amid a tough run of form for the Hammers, who suffered a 5-2 thrashing by Crystal Palace on Sunday.
West Ham lost 2-0 to Fulham a week prior, while they have also recently been knocked out of the Europa League by newly crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
His podcast offers an insight into the world of football from a Premier League player’s point of view.
Antonio previously faced the ire of Liverpool fans earlier this season after he confidently predicted West Ham would finish ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s side in the standings.
He made the bold statement ahead of a Premier League clash between the sides in September, which the Reds won 3-1.
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