Antony, the Brazilian winger who once played for Manchester United, has been candid about his mental health battles. These issues had a disastrous impact on his performance while at Old Trafford. In an interview with ESPN Brasil, Luis Henrique described how those hurdles informed his decision to leave the club in January. Until last summer, when he signed on loan with Real Betis.
Antony was frank in acknowledging that his personal life impacted his ability to show the best version of himself at United. He acknowledged this concern in his opening statements. Quite simply, he found it impossible to deal with the weight of expectation of a £100 million signing. The pressures from supporters and the club’s own high expectations became a burden. Through these challenges, he maintained an appreciation for Erik Ten Hag, his boss during his time flourishing in Amsterdam.
Antony’s relationship with Ten Hag was significant. He credited the coach for his support in both the Netherlands and England. He was honest enough to acknowledge that he found it hard to gain Ten Hag’s trust at United, which made his challenges all the more severe.
“Erik Ten Hag is a coach I’m very grateful to,” Antony stated. “He helped me a lot in the Netherlands, and in England too, even though the opportunities didn’t come the way I wanted to.”
In September 2023, the winger went on an indefinite leave of absence from United. The decision followed police inquiries into abuse allegations in the UK and Brazil. Antony went on record to say that these investigations had a personal impact on him as well as affecting his performances on the pitch.
“People look at the moment, but they don’t look at the bigger picture, what happens to bring things about,” he reflected. This realization speaks to the struggle far-reaching across all athletes, not just their performance metrics.
As he looks ahead, Antony relishes the prospects of new challenges. He too congratulates Ten Hag, hoping him success for the rest of this ongoing season. He admitted that Manchester United is going through a difficult period. Despite the club’s worrying predicament, he is still high on Ten Hag’s ability to coach.
Antony’s transfer to Real Betis has opened a new chapter of his life. He’ll be available for transfer again this summer. He and the club are already looking for moves that suit his personal ambitions.
I’ve only had a short time working with [Amorim], but he’s a very good coach. A really smart coach,” Tello said, speaking of his new manager at Betis.
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