Michail Antonio's rise through English football was far from a smooth ride — the former West Ham United forward has revealed that one of the earliest obstacles in his path came not from a rival club or an injury, but from his own mother.

Speaking to FourFourTwo to mark the release of his autobiography Humans Not Robots, published by HarperCollins, Antonio recalled a pivotal moment at the age of 14 when Tottenham Hotspur came calling.

The Spurs opportunity that never was

A school teacher, Mr Watson, had connections with Tottenham Hotspur and arranged for the club's scouts to watch Antonio and a teammate during a school match. The young forward impressed, and an invitation to join the academy followed.

"I was buzzing, thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm going to go to Spurs' academy, this is the start of me becoming a professional,'" Antonio told FourFourTwo.

Bursting with excitement, he rushed home to share the news — only to be met with a firm refusal from his mother, who had little interest in football and was far more focused on her son's education.

"I went home to tell my mum — she wasn't really into football and was like, 'Oh, where is it?' I said North London, and she asked, 'So when are you going to be going there?'" Antonio recalled.

When he explained the daily commitment involved — travelling to North London after school and returning home at 11 or 12 at night — his mother did not hesitate.

"She said, 'No, no chance. Your education comes first, there's no way that we're putting your education at risk for football, which isn't a guarantee,'" he said.

Tears and a dream deferred

Any attempt to push back was swiftly ended. Antonio's mother sent him straight to bed, closing the discussion before it could begin.

"I was fuming! I was crying that night non-stop, I thought she'd taken my dream away from me," he admitted.

Of course, the dream was never truly gone. Antonio went on to forge a long and successful career, most notably at West Ham United, where he became a fan favourite and one of the Premier League's more dependable forwards. His journey, however, wound through numerous lower-league clubs, rejections, and setbacks before reaching the top flight.

His story is a reminder that the road to professional football is rarely straightforward — and that even a mother's well-intentioned "no" cannot extinguish real talent.

Humans Not Robots by Michail Antonio, published by HarperCollins, is available now.