MANCHESTER UNITED new boy Antony has opened up about his tough upbringing in Brazil, revealing that he didn’t own any football boots or even have his own bedroom as a child.
Antony, 22, joined the Red Devils in a huge £85.5million move on transfer deadline day.
He became the most expensive signing of the summer window when he swapped Ajax for United two weeks ago.
But, the winger recently admitted his challenging upbringing was a far cry from the “dream” lifestyle he lives now.
Growing up, he lived in a poverty-stricken favela in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with his family.
He told Sky Sports: “I was just a humble little boy from a favela.
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“I didn’t have a bedroom, I slept on the sofa. I didn’t have boots to play football.
“I lived in the very middle of the favela. Twenty yards from my house there were drug dealers.
“Sometimes you would be watching a game on a Sunday and there would be that smell, a smell of cannabis coming into the house.
“There were moments, my brother, my sister and I would cry and hug each other thinking about our lives.
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“There were times in the middle of the night, we were bailing water out of our flooded house, but we’d still do it with a smile on our faces.”
Antony joined Sao Paulo’s youth set-up in 2010 and stayed with the club until he was signed by Ajax in 2020.
He scored 24 goals and laid on 22 assists for the Eredivisie giants during his time in Amsterdam as his form attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
But, new Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag was eager to reunite with him in England, so club chiefs greenlit a deal with a matter of hours remaining in the transfer window.
Upon his arrival, he called the switch his “dream move” and admitted his “head and heart” were at Old Trafford even while he was still tied to Ajax.
Antony kicked off his United career with a goal just 16 minutes into his debut against Arsenal.
During the interview with Sky Sports, he also revealed he dedicated the performance to his family.
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He added: “When I saw the net bulge and the fans on their feet cheering, it was very emotional. I had goosebumps.
“That goal was for my family and the fans.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
