LONDON — In a heartfelt display of unity, the West Ham players rallied around their injured teammate, Michail Antonio, during their Premier League home match against Wolverhampton on Monday. This show of solidarity came just two days following Antonio’s serious car accident.

As the team prepared for the game, they donned “Antonio 9” jerseys during warm-ups and entered the pitch wearing shirts that featured his name prominently. The club plans to auction these matchday shirts, along with jerseys from the Wolves match, with all funds raised going toward medical charities. Additionally, the West Ham board has pledged to match the total amount collected.

Fans at the London Stadium demonstrated their support by giving Antonio a standing ovation during the ninth minute of the match. In a dramatic moment after scoring the winning goal in the second half, captain Jarrod Bowen celebrated by holding up an Antonio jersey and gesturing to the supporters behind the goal. “To share that moment, he’s not here with us but I’m sure he was watching and the fans, you heard them,” Bowen expressed to Sky Sports. “It’s been an emotional couple of days.”

Prior to the match, Bowen spoke affectionately about Antonio, calling him a beloved figure within the team. “Everyone loves Mic; he is a big character. He is not just a teammate; he is a friend and has been for many years. He is also a dad to lovely children. Ultimately, life transcends football. The most important thing is that Mic is safe and well and can share his story. Saturday was really challenging. He is a warrior and always fights his battles; I know he will come back stronger from this,” Bowen said.

Antonio, aged 34 and an international player for Jamaica, is currently recovering in the hospital following surgery for a “lower limb fracture.” He was injured in a one-car accident outside London on Saturday, which led to his hospitalization and careful monitoring.

Before the match, he sent his best wishes to the team via a video message. Antonio has been a significant presence for West Ham, making over 300 appearances since joining from Nottingham Forest in 2015, and participated in all of this season’s matches before the accident.