Antony has revealed “everything comes naturally” when a footballer is “happy” after receiving plaudits for his latest performance in a Real Betis shirt.
The 25-year-old winger swapped Manchester for Seville in the January window after falling firmly down the pecking order under Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim, agreeing a loan move to Betis until the end of the season.
The Theatre of Nightmares
The Red Devils sanctioned a deal worth £86 million to sign Antony from Ajax in 2022 at Erik ten Hag’s behest after the pair’s shared time in Amsterdam.
A promising start – three goals in his opening three games – quickly soured and the Brazilian has struggled greatly due to the rigours of English football in the two-and-half-years since the blockbuster move.
Antony lacks the physicality and top-end speed, despite possessing good acceleration, to succeed in the Premier League. As a result, the winger’s confidence has been shot and his performances have regressed even further, despite his strong work-rate and technical abilities.
United officials are open to a permanent departure but there was acceptance that a club would not offer the required amount for Antony’s sale to not incur a negative hit from a PSR perspective.
A loan was seen as the only viable exit with the Brazilian receptive to the chance to rekindle his career away from the harsh spotlight of Old Trafford after a dismal experience in a United shirt.
A Fresh Start in Spain
Real Betis emerged as a frontrunner given Antony’s preference to remain in one of Europe’s ‘big leagues’ with United agreeing a deal towards the end of January. Interest from Olympiacos was rejected by the 25-year-old.
And Antony has begun life in Spain in brilliant fashion, earning a MOTM award in his debut for Los Verdiblancos and then scoring his first goal against Celta Vigo a week later.
Last night, this fine form continued, with the Brazilian winger steering in an excellent long-range effort against Gent in the Europa Conference League as Betis ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.
“When you are happy, everything comes naturally,” Antony stated in an interview after the game in reference to his improved form for his new club.
The Theatre of Dreams quickly morphed into a Playhouse of Nightmares for Antony after arriving with such fanfare three years ago. His performances in Spain have offered a reminder of the quality which made United target the 25-year-old winger in the first place.
Antony reveals Real Betis was an easy option for him to pick when the Liga club came knocking. “My head, my heart, told me that I was going to be happy here,” the Brazilian concludes.
Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
