‘He’s getting a bit older’ – Michail Antonio on Andre Ayew’s Black Stars snub

West Ham forward Michail Gregory Antonio has said Andre Ayew’s recent exclusion from the Ghana national team is understandable, given that age is catching up with the 34-year-old striker.

Since March 2024, Ayew has not been called to the Black Stars, and head coach Otto Addo explained that he had a conversation with Ayew to justify his decision.

Antonio shared his experience at West Ham, where the club consistently tries to sign younger players to replace him, but he remains part of the team.

“He’s getting a bit older now, obviously, and new boys are coming in. It’s normal – it happens to all footballers all the time. You get through the older players and try to bring in someone new.

“It’s the same thing with me at West Ham. Every year, they try to replace me with young players, but obviously, I’m still here.

“It happens. At the end of the day, players get older, and they look for something new, they look for new quality, because some of the things you could do when you were younger, you probably can’t do them now. You’re no longer as quick as you used to be, so it’s normal.”

Ayew played for West Ham between 2016 and 2018, where he and Antonio were teammates. During that time, Ayew featured in over 40 matches and scored nine league goals for the Hammers.