Brazilian footballer Antony has opened up on how he broke down emotionally while being sidelined at his former club Manchester United during the 2024/25 season.
The player was mocked by Manchester United fans when he was benched by ex-manager Erik Ten Hag for most matches due to his lack of productivity.
Subsequently in this season under a different coach, he made 14 appearances for the team.
Sharing his experiences, Antony noted that the lack of playing matches took a toll on him mentally and caused him to lose his desire to play football, which prompted his brother to comfort him.
“[Coming to Betis] changed a lot because I needed to find myself, due to 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.
“I went through difficult times [at Manchester United] when I no longer felt that pleasure. I even told my brother that I couldn’t take it anymore,” he told TNT Sports Brazil.
While shedding tears, Antony disclosed that he was sad to the point where he had to lock himself up in his room for several days without eating.
“[My brother] told me to hold on a little longer, that things were going to change. It even made me emotional because those 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,” Antony said, reduced to tears as he recounted the story.
However, the Brazilian’s story changed when he moved to Spanish side Real Betis, scoring nine goals and providing five assists while competing in the UEFA Conference League final.
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