Antony broke down in tears and revealed during his darkest moments at Manchester United he could go days without eating.
The Brazilian left Manchester United on loan earlier this season and has proven to be a revelation in Spain with Real Betis, who are now desperate to keep him.
Antony was roundly mocked 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 just how challenging it was on and off the pitch during his struggles at Old Trafford.
‘[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 broke down in tears at Real Betis’ media day when discussing his time at Man United
A loan at Real Betis (right) has revitalised Antony as they prepare for a European final together
Antony made 14 appearances this season for Manchester United, playing under both Ten Hag and his successor Ruben Amorim.
But the mental toll of not being able to reach the heights he had at Ajax changed Antony as a person to the point he had fallen out of love with 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 LaLiga in 2025 and is not short of suitors with Manchester United ready to sell this summer.
Real Betis are eager to keep him but they face competition from Atletico Madrid, with United looking to recoup around £30-35million for the Brazilian. Italian giants Juventus are also keen.
Antony has nine goals and five assists to his name with Betis and he has been instrumental in getting them to the Conference League final, where they take on Chelsea in Wroclaw.
