Footballer, Antony broke down in tears as he opened up about his darkest moments at Manchester United.
The Brazilian left Manchester United on loan earlier this season and went on to become one of the top performers in Spain with Real Betis, who are now desperate to keep him.
Antony was heavily criticized in England after making the £82million switch from Ajax to reunite with Erik ten Hag and speaking ahead of the UEFA Europa Conference League final, where Betis take on Chelsea, Antony opened up on his struggles on and off the pitch during his stay at Manchester United.
‘[Coming to Betis] changed a lot because I needed to find myself, because of everything I went through in my personal life,’ Antony told TNT Sports Brazil.
‘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 always told my brother, I told him that I couldn’t take it anymore.’
Antony made 14 appearances this season for Manchester United, playing under both Ten Hag and his successor Ruben Amorim.
However, the pressure of not replicating his Ajax success took a heavy mental toll on Antony, ultimately draining his passion for football
‘[My brother] told me to hold on a little longer, that things were going to change . It even made me emotional, because they were very hard days for me,’ Antony said, reduced to tears as he recounted the story.
‘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.
‘So, for me it was very complicated, but thank God, with the help of my family and mainly with the help of God, I managed to get ahead and today I am very happy here.’
Antony has been one of the most impressive players in La Liga in 2025, with Real Betis eager to keep him but they face competition from Atletico Madrid.