Michail Antonio scoops Hammer of the Year Award ahead of Reid and Obiang

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 05: Michail Antonio of West Ham United in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on April 5, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images,)
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 05: Michail Antonio of West Ham United in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium on April 5, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images,) /
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Michail Antonio has been named West Ham’s player of the year. It’s a prestigious award that will mean a lot to the former Forest winger.

After a strange season it’s been good to have a sense of calm at the end for West Ham. With the win over Spurs and guaranteed safety, the end of season awards have come at a perfect time. There have been a couple of injuries, but this was a chance for everyone to relax.

So whilst there were other awards on the night, the big one is Hammer of the Year. It was a close one this year with, in my opinion, three players who would have been worthy winners all vying for a spot in the Irons’ historic award run.

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The Winner – Michail Antonio

Michail Antonio has faced off many things this season, and he very much deserves the award. With numerous goals, tireless running and a consistently unbreakable attitude he embodies the spirit the club want to show.

It is a great end to a season given it started with him almost in tears being taken off against Chelsea after giving away a penalty earlier in the match. But he has always had the fans on his side, and hopefully now has the manager with him as well.

With 9 goals so far, he is currently the Hammers’ top scorer, but will have to wait to see if that award remains his as there are still two games to go, with Carroll on 7 goals and Lanzini on 8. His goalscoring contribution has been invaluable in a lean season up front.

The Contenders

Many fans still feel that the award should have gone elsewhere, with Reid and Obiang coming close. Manuel Lanzini won the Players’ Player of the Year Award, highlighting his popularity in the dressing room.

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Many felt Reid would win due to his influential defensive displays, but I still favoured Obiang. Both of them lost out, and I feel that is the curse of the more defensive player. Given that they don’t grab the headlines it can be hard to win a popularity vote.

However Antonio is a top player and an obvious good personality in the dressing room. He deserves the award, so hopefully he will sign a new contract soon!