Michail Antonio has apologised to Liverpool players and fans months after an outlandish prediction came back to bite the West Ham United forward.
The Hammers travelled to Anfield back in September, with the Jamaica international adamant that West Ham would beat the Reds and finish above them this season.
"I am backing myself over Liverpool," he said on the Footballer's Football Podcast at the time. "You know what, I think we are going to finish higher than Liverpool this season. I'm putting it out there.
"I watched the game [Wolves vs Liverpool] because it was before our game and Wolves could have run away with it! They had quite a few opportunities. We've got them this weekend and it's a six-pointer. We've got them!"
Antonio would proceed to have little impact on the match itself as Liverpool ran out 3-1 winners, with supporters proceeding to not let the 33-year-old forget his ill-advised prediction.
Last month, he would admit that he was still receiving backlash from fans, and didnāt want Jurgen Kloppās side to win the Premier League as a result.
āI donāt want Liverpool to win the league because you Liverpool fans are still in my inbox," he said when again speaking on the Footballers' Football podcast. "Get lost! Iām saying it with [my] chest. I donāt want Liverpool to win the league! Come for me! Arsenal get it. Man City, get it. Thatās all I have to say about that!ā
However, six weeks on and Antonio has now attempted to make amends to Liverpool supporters in way of a public apology.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Footballerās Football podcast, the Hammers forward admitted he regrets his wild prediction from earlier in the season.
āBefore we move forwards I have got something to say,ā he said. āAt the beginning of the season I said a comment.
āIt was a bit wild. It was very wild. I said that there was a possibility that West Ham could finish above Liverpool this year. Iām not going to lie, I said it was my chest.
āThey werenāt gelling at all together, I believed we were going to be sixth or seventh. There was so many stats about Klopp having seven or eight years and then having a blip, it was one of those things.
āI was obviously deluded at the time. So I am going to have to hand out a public apology to the Liverpool fans and the Liverpool players. I take it back.ā
Liverpool currently boast a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with 60 points, having played 26 games. In contrast, West Ham, who do boast a game-in-hand on the Reds, sit ninth in the table on 36 points, and have failed to win any of their eight matches in all competitions in 2024
Meanwhile, Antonio also praised Liverpoolās recruitment in recent years, signalling their Ā£45m signing of Diogo Jota from Wolves in September 2020 in particular.
āHeās an absolute joke,ā he said. āAnd the craziest thing I like about Liverpool is they buy these players and people at the time are like what are they thinking? Why are they doing that?
āWhen they signed Mane they were like Ā£30 million for Mane what are you doing? And then Van Dijk. And then Jota, everyone was like what? They all turn out to be absolute class. Itās a masterclass of buying players.ā
