Antony has revealed his true feelings on Manchester United and Real Betis in a recent interview.
Since securing his move to Betis during the winter transfer window, the Brazilian has done a great job at improving his performances, drawing praise from teammate Isco for his fine form.
Naturally, his career revival has not gone unnoticed, with Juventus reportedly preparing a bid for Antony this summer.’
While former Man United coach Benni McCarthy claimed that Antony’s struggles at Old Trafford due to unreasonable expectations of him, the Brazilian himself opened up about the truth behind his success at Betis.
“The most important thing to regain my confidence was to reconnect with myself. I found myself here and that’s why I’m very happy at Betis. Every day I feel more secure,” Antony told Kooora in an interview published by ESTADIO Deportivo.
Acknowledging the struggles that he had at United, particularly in terms of self-confidence Antony had plenty of praise for his new manager and teammates.
“Pellegrini is very important to me. Before signing with Betis, I spoke to him and he gave me a lot of confidence. His experience and track record give me energy every day to do well.”
“I love LaLiga, I always told my brother that I wanted to play here,” the winger continued. “Today I have the opportunity and I want to enjoy it, to perform at a good level. The level of LaLiga is very high and Real Betis must always fight to be at the top.”
Antony also took a moment to discuss his future, which is particularly relevant given his transfer links.
“I’m very happy here, but I don’t know what will happen in the future. I always say that I enjoy every day with the club, the city and everything that surrounds me, and I give my best for the team. It’s still too early to talk about my future,” Antony clarified.
Sadly, Antony is not the first player to perform better after leaving United, even if just on loan. Marcus Rashford has attracted interest from multiple clubs due to his performances on loan at Aston Villa, while Scott McTominay has enjoyed a bright start to life at Napoli.
Ultimately, the routine of players excelling upon leaving United is something that manager Ruben Amorim should reflect upon. He and his coaching staff will need to think of ways to get the most out of their players before they decide to depart the club, whether out of frustration, a lack of self-confidence, or some other reason.
Featured image Fran Santiago via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
