Jota's death shocked me to my core. It could easily have been me

MICHAIL ANTONIO was working on his recovery in the gym when he had to head home.

- BY CHRIS MCKENNA

He could no longer concentrate, the memories of his own car crash flooding back.

It was July 3 and the tragic news of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota (below) and his brother Andre Silva being killed in a car crash in Spain had started to filter through.

"It shocked me to my core," said former West Ham striker Antonio. "I was in the gym doing some strength work on my leg with one of my personal physios and he told me the news.

"He's like 'Have you've seen it?'. It distracted me, I couldn't really work out, I just called it a day and went home.

"It shocked me because it could easily have been me."

Antonio, 35, lost control of his Ferrari last December and crashed into a tree. It took 45 minutes for responders to get to him and cut him out of the wreckage (below).

He was lucky to survive and the harrowing loss of Anfield star Jota and his brother brought it all back to him.