English football star Michail Antonio, who plays for West Ham United FC, paid tribute to Serena Williams on the occasion of International Women's Day. While the entire team, including Antonio, celebrated the special day by sporting bespoke training kits, Antonio stood out with his tribute.
Fifteen players from the Premier League side's squad celebrated Women's Day by wearing training kits that paid tribute to their mothers, with either 'Mum,' 'Mama' or their mothers' names on the back of their kits. However, Antonio decided to give a special shoutout to Williams, wearing a jersey that simply read "Serena Williams" on the back along with his kit number.
Antonio, who is West Ham United's all-time leading goal scorer in the Premier League, also expressed great admiration for Williams.
Speaking about his choice of name for the Women's Day special training kit, Antonio said that he could have chosen from multiple inspirational women, but decided to go with the American tennis legend, suggesting that Williams has inspired him the most.
"It was great to show our support for International Women’s Day. I could have chosen several inspirational women, but in the end, I picked Serena Williams as the name on my shirt for training," Michail Antonio said as per a West Ham United club statement.
Antonio further spoke about Williams' influence, attesting to her GOAT status, and highlighting the 23-time Grand Slam champion's self-belief, talent, and mental strength.
"Serena was arguably the greatest tennis player of her generation, and really showed what you can do if you put your mind to something and believe in yourself. Her achievements speak for themselves really. She is such a talented individual," Antonio stated.
To mark International Women’s Day, West Ham's men's first team have paid tribute to the inspirational women in their lives by wearing training tops with their respective names on the back. 15 players paid tributes to their mothers. Michail Antonio chose Serena Williams. #whufc
