Antony has revealed what Brazilian legend Neymar Jr told him when he was receiving media criticism during his time at Manchester United.
Antony completed a deadline-day switch to Real Betis after impressing during a six-month loan spell in Seville, where he seemed to rediscover his spark following a difficult spell at Manchester United.
On returning to Old Trafford, he found himself among the group of unwanted players under Ruben Amorim and was excluded from United’s pre-season tour of the United States.
Despite attracting strong interest from clubs like Bayern Munich, Antony made it clear that his preference was to stay with Betis.
The move followed a drawn-out saga in which Betis even briefly announced they were pulling out of negotiations, before the two sides eventually agreed on a deal worth £21.7 million plus a 50% sell-on clause.
Antony reveals message he received from Neymar
Antony’s difficulties at Old Trafford came quickly and his first experience of media scrutiny came when he attempted his spinning technique on the ball.
The Brazilian winger received a lot of criticism afterwards and he has since revealed that Neymar Jr spoke to him about it.
“These are things I don’t agree with,” explained Antony when asked by ESPN whether the criticism for Brazilian players showcasing their skills is unfair.
“In fact, when I did my turn at Manchester United, there were a lot of news stories and such, and Neymar himself wrote to me, asked me to send him the video of the move so he could publish it, and told me to keep doing it.
“It’s our characteristic, like Vinicius Junior does. I can’t help but dribble. I won’t stop doing what I know, because it was the things I did that got me here.”
Antony reacts to United stint
Those kind of skills will always split opinion in football. Some love to see it while others believe it can be disrespectful or even ineffective.
In the end, the Antony spin was not the reason the winger didn’t succeed at Old Trafford.
“I’m a man who takes responsibility,” continued Antony. |I think the off-field situation has had a big impact on my performance.
“I know my potential, I know my qualities. I didn’t play in a World Cup for nothing, I didn’t return to the national team for nothing. I also take responsibility for not having succeeded, for not having performed as I wanted. But I always try to see the bright side of things.”
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