Manchester United’s Antony impressed while on loan at Real Betis during the second half of this season. The winger struggled for minutes at Old Trafford and the situation didn’t improve after the Red Devils replaced Erik ten Hag with Ruben Amorim in November.
Antony played regularly and was a key part of Manuel Pellegrini’s starting lineup at Real Betis. He scored nine goals and registered five assists from 29 games for them.
The Manchester United player’s form for the La Liga club helped him return to the Brazil squad this month.
He is currently with the national team and this gave CBF [the Brazilian FA] an opportunity to have a chat with him, and Estadio Deportivo have relayed the 25-year-old’s comments.
On his return to the national team, he insists it was “very important to hit rock bottom and understand the resilience I had with the help of God and my family.”
The former Ajax man has opened up on his struggles at the Premier League club and how he fought hard to overcome it with the support of his family.
“Look, the key for me, of course, is to cling to God. I attach great importance to this, and also to my family. Honestly, during the difficult time I went through, I even doubted myself. I thought I wouldn’t get through that situation,” Antony explained.
“My family always told me to calm down. ‘Calm down, this is the process’, they told me. The process is painful, and we have to accept it.
“Today I understand everything I went through, the resilience I had after being down there, without hope. I kept doing my job, I kept working for the club [Manchester United], I kept doing my part. Today, I look back and see that this process was necessary. I feel like a much more mature person, much more prepared. I feel like a better father, a better husband, and a better man. It was worth it.”
The South American insists he’s now become more mature after putting the difficult phase behind him.
“Even though I had no hope, even though I was going through a difficult time, at the same time I remembered many things I’d experienced,” he added.
“Well, then I stopped to think: ‘I didn’t learn to play football, I didn’t play in a World Cup in vain, I didn’t join the national team in vain.’ Everything has a reason, everything has a process. And this process was very necessary in my life. It made me stronger, and being here today is a dream come true. It’s very gratifying. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m grateful for everything.”
Antony has to return to Manchester United this summer, who will have to make a decision on his future. Real Betis are looking for a new loan deal, but it’s not given that they will be successful.