We’re delighted to announce that Antony has turned into prime Cristiano Ronaldo
Anybody who has stayed in a relationship long after the use-by date has expired will be able to associate with Antony at the start of February 2025.
After joining Manchester United for a fee north of £80million in 2022, Antony’s association with the club soon turned sour after a series of ineffective performances.
The poster boy for the botched revamp under Erik ten Hag, the winger offered little in the way of goals or assists across his two-and-a-half seasons in England.
It was clear a trial separation was necessary for both parties. Real Betis, who are presumably run by executives without access to the Premier League, took the punt on a half-season loan.
Away from the mental prison of Manchester and 3 pm sunsets, Antony is tentatively rediscovering himself in sunny Andalucia.
After impressing in Betis’ 2-2 draw with Athletic Bilbao last weekend, the 24-year-old scored his first La Liga goal during their away match with Celta Vigo.
After receiving a cutback from an enterprising team-mate, Antony sorted his feet with break-neck speed before curling his effort into the bottom right corner.
It was a moment of real class and quality, making his inauspicious spell in Manchester feel even more ridiculous.
The winger was given the Man of the Match award despite Betis’ eventual 3-2 defeat, making it two such accolades in two La Liga appearances.
Alternate angle of Antony’s 1st goal for Real Betis vs Celta Vigo
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Discussing his transfer to Real Betis as he was unveiled to the media, Antony said: “I had other proposals, but when Betis appeared I felt a certainty in my heart that made me stay calm.
“I’m happy here and I want to conquer many goals.
“I’m happy here for everyone, for the coach and the players. I feel calm and confident. I want to find my best version and the first step is to be happy.
“Everything here is incredible, my family and I are happy. Now it’s time to work to be at my best and help the club in everything.
“I’m going to give my life at Betis, not only in the match but in training. I will always do that. It’s 100 per cent that I’m going to do that.”
And when asked whether he could end up staying at Betis beyond the end of his loan spell, he explained: “To stay at Betis? You have to respect the process, I went through difficult times.
“If I have to stay longer, I would have to talk to the president and everything. And at the moment I want to play and score goals and give assists. I must help the team. Later we can talk about that.”
Antony linked up with former Manchester City and West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini when he signed for Betis.
The 24-year-old was then handed his debut in the Spanish side’s 2-2 La Liga draw with Athletic Bilbao at the weekend.
“I spoke with the coach [before the move] – the conversation was very good,” Antony added.
“Very calm also for that in training and the match. I was very calm because the conversation was very good. He gave me a lot of confidence and everyone knows the experience he has.”
Weighed down by the sheer size of the transfer fee, the dysfunction at United and perhaps his own limitations, Antony has been given a golden chance to reboot his career.
The early signs at Betis suggest that Antony might have found the perfect environment to do just that.
By Michael Lee