Antony’s time at Manchester United was far from smooth. The Brazilian winger admitted that he was unhappy with his performances and mentally hit rock bottom. Things got so bad, he said, that he stopped eating and locked himself in his room for days.
Antony joined Manchester United from Dutch club Ajax in 2022 for a hefty €100 million transfer fee. Expectations were high at first, but he gradually lost form and faced increasing criticism. Eventually, in January 2025, he joined Spanish side Real Betis on loan.
Since his move to Betis, Antony seems to have rediscovered himself. The 25-year-old forward has scored 9 goals and provided 5 assists in 25 matches, helping the club reach the UEFA Conference League final for the first time in their history.
In an emotional interview with TNT Sports Brazil ahead of the final, Antony broke down in tears while recalling the difficult period. “Everything changed after I came to Betis. I needed to find myself again. At United, nothing was going right. I wasn’t happy. I even lost the desire to play football,” he said.
“I told my brother, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ I just wanted to stay inside. I didn’t even have the energy to play with my son. I went days without eating, locked myself in my room. It was a very dark time. But now, by God’s grace, I’m doing much better,” he added.
