The spectre of Manchester United has always been a heavy one but Antony is proving just how heavy is truly is after escaping it to find form.
With a reputation as little more than a strained asset, Antony went on loan to Real Betis during the January transfer window in the hopes that Manchester United would find a buyer.
The terms of the agreement also reflected that, with Betis not even considering a buyout option, while United paid a percentage of his salary.
Now that Antony has thrived at Betis, Betis may be regretting it, but the Brazilian’s four-word statement following a recent historic victory demonstrates that the regrets are not only for Betis.
Antony’s four-word message after Real Betis vs Real Madrid
His career has completely changed, from the Spanish media claiming that Antony has “taken over” in La Liga to the Brazilian getting into an unplanned award brawl with Kylian Mbappe.
At Betis, Antony took off right away and hasn’t looked back. Even luck was on his side when his red card was revoked, allowing him to play versus Madrid. Considering that he performed well for United early in his career, this game was his first chance to demonstrate that his form isn’t a passing fad.
With Antony performing well once more and Betis pulling off a spectacular 2-1 shock of Madrid, those worries have largely been addressed.
If his displays on the pitch weren’t talking for themselves, Antony sent a four-word message to the rest of the footballing world via Real Betis’ X account.
In a short, four-second clip, Antony says, “Antony prime, starts here”, as the camera pans from his neck tattoo to his face.
Man Utd fans wished Antony prime started here
The irony is terrible, even if many supporters will be pleased to see Antony finally enjoying football after being the target of ridicule.
Antony has joined Marcus Rashford in making an impression away from Old Trafford at a time when Manchester United’s offensive ranks are at an all-time low.
Freed from the scrutiny and the transfer fee cloud that lingered over him—something he had no say in deciding—the athlete appears to have been rejuvenated.
Despite always giving it his all, Antony never seemed to fit in with England, a belief that has been supported by his achievements in Spain. Simply put, United supporters would have preferred it to have occurred with the team rather than against it.