Antonio out of hospital after horror car crash that left him with broken leg

The 34-year-old was driving his £260,000 Ferrari when it veered off the road in Essex on December 7.

The force of the crash saw the Hammers star shifted into the passenger seat before being trapped inside the car for over 45 minutes as emergency services battled to free him.

Antonio subsequently underwent surgery before West Ham later assured worried fans that the player was in a stable condition after distressing pictures of the vehicle surfaced online.

His injuries are expected to keep him out of action for at least a year - with Antonio's contract is set to expire this summer.

That has prompted the club to look into the possibility of extending his deal to cover the period of recuperation, with talks expected to take place soon.

Read more on football

Southampton consider move for Euros semi-finalist who's also contender for West Ham job

Kevin Nolan lands first manager's job in six years following West Ham departure

Antonio joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest in 2015 and has gone on to become the club's all-time Premier League top goalscorer with 83.

Two days after the crash, Antonio's teammates paid tribute to him prior to their crunch league fixture with Wolves by warming up in t-shirts bearing his name.

The shirts and the match jerseys were later auctioned off with £60,000 raised for both the NHS and Air Ambulance UK Charity.

"It's been special to see the West Ham family and the wider football community come together in support of Mic over the last month," said West Ham teammate Jarrod Bowen.

Most read in Football

Suspended Jhon Duran now faces more FA punishment after controversial ban

Tottenham 'set condition' for Grealish transfer in January

Man United 'in the gutter' as fans clash over 'disgusting' Joshua Zirkzee treatment

Ex-Plymouth boss Rooney releases statement to address claims he took woman to his flat

"We are all grateful for the care that both the NHS and Air Ambulances UK have given to Mic during a challenging time for him and his family, and for what they continue to do every single day for people around the country.

"Pulling together during difficult times is what being a part of West Ham United is all about and on behalf of the team, I want to thank everyone."

After initial fears that Antonio was at risk of losing his life were aborted, concerns were raised that the striker may not return to the pitch.

However West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui expressed his confidence that Antonio will make a return to football.

"The most important thing is that he's alive, he's good," said Lopetegui. "He broke his femur, but he's going to recover for sure.

"He's going to need time. It's about time.

"Now it's about time but the good news is that he has time because when you see the car was terrible, the accident, that's why we are happy.

"Because in the end, despite the fact we are unhappy because we lost one very important player for us, we are happy because he's going to be ready.

"Now he's strong, he's recovered himself in the next month for sure and he's going to be ready to be a player. The first thing is to be a man and then to be a player."