Michail Antonio’s future may be a little “up in the air” but there can be no doubting his commitment to the club’s Players Project which aims to see the squad involved in community projects.

And discussing the new project he said: “It  is a great thing because it gives people the opportunity to learn.

“I’m working in the Jobs strand and giving people the experience of how to interview, how they should portray themselves and how to be confident and look into the person’s eyes and get them to know you personally, because people who employ people want to know about them, rather than why they want the job. Hopefully I can tell the people I’m working with how to do that.

“I had a different job before I became a footballer. I was a lifeguard at a secondary school and I would sit there for an hour and a half and it was hot and humid and you can’t have headphones in or do anything. You have to sit there and watch people go up and down the swimming pool!”

Antonio, who will work alongside Andy Carroll, Joe Powell and Claire Rafferty, says The Players’ Project will also help young people ignore the temptation to follow the wrong path.

He told www.whufc.com: “Where I grew up, there was a lot of knife crime. A few of my friends got stabbed and a couple of friends died from it and when I grew up it was a norm for me and it didn’t really make it into the news because it was happening every other day. Now, you’re seeing it more in the ‘papers.

“I go back into my old secondary school and I’m trying to stop it from the age of 12, because once you’re in it, you’re in it and it’s difficult to get out.

“I’m trying to back and speak to the kids and ask them ‘Is it worth it to risk your life for a bit of money or a bit of respect?’”