After breaking West Ham's Premier League goal record, Michail Antonio celebrated by cutting a cardboard of himself against Leicester.
It was Ian Wright. So did Jamie Vardy. It is not easy to go from non-league to Premier League.
West Ham's Michail Anthony has made it. He has also made history by becoming the club's premier league record scorer last month.
Despite all his successes, including an international debut with Jamaica at this month's start, the 31-year old striker has not forgotten where it all started - in Tooting & Mitcham United's Isthmian league.
Ashley Bosah (Toting's manager), says that the relationship between Michail, Tooting, and the club "is ongoing."
"He comes in during off-season to do some fun activities with youth team - his family is close to the club so they have a fun day during summer.
"In the off-season Michail also rents the facilities for his individual program.
He is humble and is able to be with the guys. You get the impression that he doesn't have an ego and is someone who is willing to engage with everyone.
He is friendly. We don't want the children to get too excited. He is there to train. But, when he has time, he will sit down and talk to coaches and other people.
He was a man of'resilience, drive'
Antonio, who will be returning from suspension on Saturday when West Ham host Leeds in the Premier League, wasn't able to make a straight path to the top.
He spent seven years at Tooting after he was a schoolboy. Antonio, who was rejected by several professional clubs in his teens, was 18 when Championship club Reading signed him for an undisclosed amount in 2008.
He learned his trade with the Royals and had five loan spells over four seasons. These included stints at Cheltenham Southampton, Colchester and Sheffield Wednesday.
He made an impression on Alan Pardew in League One, Southampton 2009-10. Pardew was himself a player who had made the transition from non-league to the English top flight. Pardew made it with Crystal Palace where he was a teammate of Ian Wright.
Pardew said that he knew of him from a young age. Can you believe how many Ian Wrights have been given to me in my lifetime? These players are special to me because I am from non-league.
He had a chaotic quality that was needed to win a football match. Otherwise, it's painting by numbers. That was what he gave us, and that he still has. It's still unclear how fast he is and what he will do.
"I believe sometimes academies are able to take away that rawness, freedom. He didn't lose the chaos factor.
Antonio joined Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship at the beginning of the 2012-13 season. He was their top scorer with nine goals.
After a successful campaign, he moved to Nottingham Forest where West Ham took him to the Premier League. He was a right-back in his first season, but he has since grown to be a significant force at the front.
Bosah says that Bosah's talent was evident right from the beginning. He had many trials before signing with Reading, including one that saw him scouted in Tottenham. But his mom was not keen on him jumping ship and jeopardizing his education.
"Because he was talented and able, opportunities came along. He was not only a talented individual but he also worked hard to achieve what he did.
"This level is not easy - it takes a lot resilience and determination. He certainly displayed that during his career.
"He has the same mentality as me, and that is what allowed him to excel at football."
Antonio is enjoying a strong start this season. He was named Premier League's player-of-the-month for August. After scoring four goals and providing three assists during West Ham's first three matches, and then scoring in their Europa League win against Dinamo Zagreb, Antonio was named the Premier League's player to the month.
Bosah states, "The work rate is high and he puts in a lot of effort every day." "This is an attribute that players at this level can acquire to help them reach the highest levels."
Antonio "left an impression here"
Antonio is now a Hammers legend - he made history last month when he scored his 48th Premier League goal against Leicester and broke the club scoring records in the competition held previously by Paolo di Canio.
The striker celebrated his feat by raising a cardboard cutout of him in the air, in front of London Stadium's home fans.
David Moyes, manager, said that the celebration was "not something we're keen on". However, Antonio later tweeted, saying that he loved football, scoring goals and making history. I love this team, and I love all those who have helped me get where I am today.
After giving up on England's chance at him after unsuccessful calls in 2016 and 2017, he has now made his international debut for Jamaica.
Tooting & Mitcham has been a major contributor to this success. They have produced many more English Football League players, including Sam Folarin, Isaiah Jones and Abraham Odoh, who play for Championship side Middlesbrough, as well as Hady Ghandour who went on to play at Charlton.
Bosah says Antonio's connection to his non-league roots was an important one.
He said: "That connection between Tooting & Mitcham was an inspiration around club and one that has left a mark here.
"We continue to produce better and more talented players. The chairman was inspired by what he had left behind to keep his work going. The Championship, League One, and League Two have all been reached by players.
"There's a lot of ongoing development off the back of his heritage - so we are very proud to be connected to that." His legacy is an inspiration for the generations that followed."
