West Ham United forward Michail Antonio hit back at Roy Keane, branding him a 'dinosaur' for criticising players who run their own podcasts.
The Manchester United legend had recently aired his views on the matter, suggesting that such activities could distract players, especially after a loss. Keane remarked: "I think that [podcasts] can be a distraction for a player, particularly if you're on the back of a defeat, and you're in the next day and everyone is having a bit of a laugh. I don't think you should laugh for a week or two if you've been beaten."
Although Keane didn't mention names, it was clear he referred to the likes of Antonio, who since 2021 has co-hosted BBC's Footballers' Football podcast alongside Newcastle's Callum Wilson and Fulham's Tom Cairney.
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TNT SportConfronted with Keane's critique on his show, Antonio retorted, defending the modern footballer's right to engage more openly with the world. He argued: "It's dinosaur mentality because when he [Keane] was playing, every manager, every fan, everybody, constantly said, 'focus on your football'.
"'Go to sleep with a football in your arms - the only thing you're allowed to think about is football. Your wife deals with your kids, don't play with your kids - football'. That's what it was when he was playing", reports the Mirror.
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"Obviously in time players who played with him went bankrupt because all they did think about was football and that's all it was. Now, obviously footballers are focusing on their football, can do their football, but can also focus on other things: business, fashion, some are rappers now. People focus on other things.
"If I've got time to do this then why shouldn't I? With the podcast I understand that if you've got battered on the weekend - which I did - it's not a thing about being sad for two weeks because there's another game coming next week. You're meant to forget what happened on the last weekend and make it better the next week.
"That's why a lot of players struggle with mental health problems because people are telling them they're meant to struggle for two whole weeks because they got battered on the weekend. No, you deal with it. You are sad when you leave and for that night."
Antonio's retaliation arrives at a stage where he battled through an injury-riddled season at West Ham, netting a mere six times across 28 matches. The Jamaican international will be back on the pitch Saturday afternoon as the Hammers take on Liverpool. David Moyes' outfit can still clinch a top-half finish in their last four games.
