‘Beast’ Michail Antonio hopes West Ham can do a number on Tottenham as he targets World Cup spot with England

Slaven Bilic calls him the “beast”, and if ever Michail Antonio climbed into a boxing ring to fight Rio Ferdinand, I know where my money would go. Fortunately, the West Ham powerhouse has years ahead of him on the pitch, rather than other diversions - and this season, especially, could be his biggest yet.

The 27-year-old former lifeguard has come a long way since he began his player career with Tooting & Mitcham but now, via a long list of clubs and loans, he is an established Premier League star who is realistically setting his sights on Russia and next summer’s World Cup Finals.

Sam Allardyce was sufficiently impressed by Antonio to call him into his first international squad just over a year ago, while the former West Ham manager’s successor as England coach, Gareth Southgate, picked him again last spring, only for the player to drop out after injuring a hamstring.

In fact, the injury went on to prove a major issue for Antonio and one from which, he admits, he has not fully recovered.

“The problem was the hamstring tore in an unusual way and it wasn’t going to repair itself with just rest,” says Antonio. “I had to have the operation and it has taken time to get over that.

“I don’t feel I am quite back to 100 per cent, I have about five per cent to go. Physically, I’m good, but the stamina, which is an important part of my game, is not quite back to where it was.

“My stats are not as high as they were last season but I reckon another three or four games and I will be back to 100 per cent.”

Antonio’s immediate ambition is to help West Ham to a second successive Premier League victory over Tottenham in the London Stadium, but he freely admits that the long-term goal has to be a place in the England squad for Russia next summer.

“It’s always there in the back of my mind, thinking about Russia and the World Cup,” he says. “It’s definitely a mission for me - and that’s another reason why I want to get back to full power as soon as possible. You can’t rush the body, though, because, if you do, injuries will keep occurring.”

West Ham have stabilised following a calamitous start, during which they lost their first three Premier League matches, conceding 10 goals.

Boss Bilic changed to a back-three and, since then, his team have two successive Premier League clean sheets and four points.

“We had to change,” says Antonio. “It’s definitely a stronger squad than last year and now we’re settling in and we’ve found a shape that is more secure at the back.

“We’ve not just brought in quality players, but they all have a lot of Premier League experience. Pablo Zabaleta, Joe Hart and Chicharito Hernandez have been with clubs who have won the Premier League.

“Then there is Marko Arnautovic, who is a big personality with plenty of experience of playing in English football.

“These are players - winners - who can push the rest of us. It’s definitely a stronger squad than last year and now we’re settling in.”

Antonio has played, a little reluctantly at times, in various positions since he joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest for £7million two seasons ago, but he is clear about his preferred place on the pitch.

“I really like playing on the left because it gives me the option of coming inside or going down the line,” he says. “Having said that, I am quite happy to play down the right - as long as I am in an attacking three, I don’t mind really. In fact, I’ve played more on the right in my career, apart from a spell at Nottingham Forest when I was on the left and managed to score 15 goals and 15 assists that season.”

To say that Antonio has sympathy with Spurs for playing their home matches at Wembley this season would be putting it too strongly but he does understand the problems facing them. “Moving to a new place is definitely difficult and almost every club which has done it has struggled initially, us included,” he says. “It’s especially difficult for Spurs at Wembley because teams go there, look around and go, ‘Wow!’”

Antonio, though, has no illusions about the challenge he and his West Ham team-mates face at London Stadium.

“I’ve trained with Harry Kane and Dele Alli with England and I know how good they are,” he says. “But, for me, Christian Eriksen is the playmaker. He is the link between defence and attack and he’s the one getting the assists and popping up with a few goals.

“I missed our win over them last season but they will know we have players who can hurt them as well. I can’t wait for the game.”