Michail Antonio has revealed that he never thought about joining West Ham United until he signed his contract with the Hammers.
The winger, who joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest in the summer, was heavily linked with a move to fellow Premier League outfit West Bromwich Albion, with the Baggies even putting forward a bid for Antonio.
However, the Upton Park outfit hijacked West Brom’s proposed move by signing Antonio on a four-year-deal on transfer deadline day.
And the 25-year-old, who insisted that he thought he was heading to the Hawthorns, explained that his move to West Ham “came out of the blue.”
"I thought I might be signing for West Brom, there was loads of links, but nothing with West Ham", Antonio was quoted as saying by the Nottingham Post.
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"I didn't really hear anything until I basically signed the contract, it came out of the blue.
"They [West Brom] put a bid in and I thought I would end up in Birmingham, but now I'm in London, back home."
Antonio, whose current contract with West Ham is set to expire in 2019, has thus far made 18 appearances in all competitions for his new employers, scoring four times and providing two assists.
The Englishman counts Tooting & Mitcham United, Reading, Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday amongst this former employers.
