Antony admits that one Manchester United player prevented his departure from Old Trafford

Gilabola.com – Antony revealed that his Manchester United teammate, Matheus Cunha, had begged him not to leave the club before finally moving to Real Betis.

The Brazilian player explained that his last time at Old Trafford was very difficult, especially after being left out of the main squad by manager Ruben Amorim.

Despite performing well on loan at Betis last season, he still missed out on a place in United’s first team and ultimately made a permanent move to the Spanish club for around £21.65 million on the final day of the summer window.

Antony first joined Manchester United in 2022 from Ajax for IDR 1.9 trillion. High hopes accompanied his move, but his career in England did not go smoothly. After a series of inconsistent performances and off-field problems, his position in the first team began to shift.

In the second half of last season, Antony was sent to Real Betis on loan. There, he managed to show back some of his best performance and regain the confidence he had lost.

However, when he returned to Manchester, his fate had not changed. Amorim, newly in charge of the team, decided that Antony was not in his plans for the following season.

This decision meant that Antony had to train separately from the main team. He admitted that he had lived in a hotel during the summer while waiting for certainty about his future. This condition was made worse because the club did not immediately provide a solution until the transfer market deadline was approaching.

In an interview with Spanish media AS, Antony explained that Matheus Cunha, who had just joined United from Wolves that summer, was the person who gave him the most support.

According to him, his teammates on the Brazilian national team tried to convince him to stay and fight to regain his place in the first team.

Antony said that Cunha really wanted to see him play together at Old Trafford. However, difficult internal situations made that impossible. He emphasized that his relationship with Cunha remains good and considers him a special friend.

The 25 year old player also touched on his professional relationship with Amorim. He admitted that he rarely spoke directly with the coach and did not have much interaction during his isolation from the main squad. Antony said Amorim’s decision to separate him from the team had to be accepted gracefully even though it felt heavy.

According to him, this experience was a valuable lesson about patience and mental toughness. Antony said he always remembers the difficult times growing up in the favela, which made him used to dealing with pressure and uncertainty.

He added that although his situation in Manchester was painful, he still tried to maintain professionalism by continuing to train hard and prepare himself for the next opportunity.

Now, after officially rejoining Real Betis, Antony is trying to start a new chapter in his career. Although he has yet to score a goal or assist in La Liga this season, he has contributed in the Europa League when he helped Betis draw 2-2 against Nottingham Forest last month.