In January, Antony joined Real Betis on loan from Manchester United for the remainder of the season.
Antony arrived at Old Trafford from Ajax in 2022 and pulled off decent displays in his debut season for the Red Devils with 15 goal contributions in 47 appearances across competitions.
The Brazillian’s form saw a decline from his second term and prior to his loan to the La Liga club, Antony managed only three starts in the 14 appearances he had made for United and registered a sole goal.
However, Antony was quick to turn things around at Real Betis and has now scored nine goals and provided five assists in 25 appearances across competitions.
Now as his loan tenure at the Spanish side is coming to an end, Antony told TNT Sports Brazil (comments via The Mirror) how his time at Real Betis has helped him amid his personal struggles.
“[Coming to Betis] changed a lot because I needed to find myself, because of everything I went through in my personal life. As I said, I wanted to do things, but they didn’t seem to work out because I wasn’t happy, I didn’t feel that desire to play football, and I needed to find myself and be happy again because playing football was always something I loved,” said the winger.
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Antony also opened up about the ‘difficult times’ he faced at Man United.
What did Antony say about his time at Man United?
While recalling his journey at Old Trafford, Antony broke down in the middle of the interview and mentioned how his struggles in the sport affected his daily activities.
“I went through difficult times [at Manchester United ] when I no longer felt that pleasure. I even always told my brother, I told him that I couldn’t take it anymore,” he said.
“[My brother] told me to hold on a little longer, that things were going to change. It even made me emotional, because they were very hard days for me. Only I know what it was like to be there at home, not having the strength to even play with my son, going days without eating, staying locked in my room,” added the 25-year-old.
Lastly, Antony mentioned that he is ‘very happy’ at Real Betis after he ‘managed to get ahead’ of his struggles.
“So, for me it was very complicated, but thank God, with the help of my family and mainly with the help of God, I managed to get ahead and today I am very happy here,” he concluded.
While Man United are set to miss out on European football next season with a 15th-rank finish in the Premier League, Antony has a chance of lifting a trophy with Real Betis. The Spanish club is set to battle Chelsea in the Conference League final on Wednesday.
Real Betis have also been reported to be interested in making a permanent move for Antony after the completion of the loan tenure. However, the £40 million price tag set by Man United is a major issue for the La Liga side.
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