Michail eager to prove he’s a risk worth taking

me from my background, it is a risk but the gaffer has shown belief in me and now I have got to show it to the world. One thing I have always believed in is to never give up.

“Always have belief in yourself that you can achieve things. Anything is possible in life. Once I reach one target, I always search for another and I went from non-League to Reading.

“I kept going out on loan because I

Antonio only learned of his call-up after speaking to one of West Ham’s medical staff in the wake of Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City, where he scored the visitors’ only goal.

“It has been very emotional, especially when I found out [I was in the squad],” he said. “It has always been a boyhood dream to play for England and the opportunity now by being called up is breathtaking.

“I did an interview at the end of the game and I came in and the physio went over to me and said, ‘You’ve been called up.’ I said, ‘Ha, funny’. He said, ‘No, seriously.’ I said, ‘Good banter’ but I looked at him for a good 30 seconds and he looked at me.

“I wasn’t sure I could take him seriously but he showed me a piece of paper [confirming the call-up] and after that I started wellingng up inside. All I wanted to do was callll my missus. Obviously she didn’t pickk up…”

After joining up with the squad, Antonio told FATV: “I walked upp to the gaffer and thanked him. He said therehere was no need to bec ause I had worked hard. He told me to o now see if I could do it as an international player.”