EXCLUSIVE
West Ham striker Michail Antonio has accused Roy Keane of having a ‘dinosaur mentality’ after his criticism of current players hosting podcasts.
Antonio has co-hosted the BBC’s Footballer’s Football Podcast since December 2021 – a role he initially shared with Callum Wilson before Fulham captain Tom Cairney took over from the Newcastle striker.
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Manchester United legend Keane did not make reference to any particular player but claimed that players creating media content can act as a distraction.
"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,” Keane told the Stick to Football podcast.
"I don’t think you should laugh for a week or two if you’ve been beaten."
Antonio used his platform to respond to Keane’s take and claims generation differences are why footballers live contrasting lives compared to the Irishman’s playing days.
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The West Ham striker added: "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. 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?,” he continued. “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 last weekend and make it better the next week.
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"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.
"I drove home Sunday with no music, just thinking about the game. I couldn't think straight - I could only think about the game. I was embarrassed."
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Fulham star and co-host Cairney also weighed in on the debate adding: "Speaking after a defeat is difficult, it's hard, but social media wasn't even a thing back in his [Keane's] day. It's a completely new generation and you could argue players in our day are more professional than in his day.
"Imagine how many went to the pub after a game, or how many were drunk. A lot of them had drinks every weekend and they retired at such an earlier age compared to players now.
"I get what he's saying, but times have changed. It's not easy to speak after a defeat."