Thursday 19 January 2017 13:47, UK
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says that Michail Antonio deserves a new contract and hopes an agreement is "close".
The winger is the Hammers' top scorer this season with eight Premier League goals in 20 matches, and Bilic is keen to reward Antonio for his fine form.
Antonio only signed a new contract until 2020 in July last year but the Croatian confirmed the club are discussing improved terms for the attacker.
Bilic said: "He definitely deserves it, with his behaviour, his work-rate, his quality, his energy, and his goals and assists that he's providing us.
"The player came to us last season and he improved a lot. He came basically from one of the players for the future to the stage where he is one of the most important players for us in the long term.
"It is not like a few games or whatever. It was last season since he scored that goal against Southampton (his first for the club), and basically then he didn't stop.
"He was very good for us last season and then he continued to do the same this season. When the players are playing like that, in a good age as well, that has put him in a good position for a new deal."
"It's a club decision of course, together with mine. But I give him a big time green light to sign a new deal with us. I hope it is close. Well I hope it is done, to be fair, but I see no problem there."
Antonio, 26, who had no top-flight experience before signing for West Ham from Nottingham Forest at the start of last season, has scored 16 goals in 46 Premier League games.
He chose to represent England over Jamaica, who he was also eligible for, last year and was called up to an England squad by former boss Sam Allardyce earlier this season, but he is yet to win his first cap.
