Manchester United winger Antony has claimed personal life troubles took a toll on his performances for Manchester United in the 2023-24 season. The Brazilian winger also admitted he was annoyed after Erik ten Hag asked him to play as a left-back last season. He, however, vowed to handle such situations with more maturity going forward.
Antony Admits Personal Life Took A Toll On Manchester United Season
Former Ajax man Antony had a tumultuous 2023-24 season. The Brazilian failed to make any tangible impact throughout the season, recording only three goals and two assists in 38 matches across competitions.
Speaking to The Athletic, Antony explained the reason behind his lackluster showings.
He said:
“I am someone who demands a lot of myself, I was obviously not satisfied with my season, but a lot happened over the year in my personal life. Like it or not, everything I went through had an effect on the pitch. That’s behind me now and it’s a new season. I’ve got a strong mentality and I’m focused on what I want, I know that this season will be totally different… I’ve learned from it all, I’ve grown and matured.”
Last year, Antony had to defend himself against allegations that he had attacked multiple women. Due to the trials, Manchester United allowed the 24-year-old a special one-month leave in September. Antony maintains he is completely innocent, but he is still under investigation in England and Brazil.
Antony Was ‘Bothered’ By Left-Back Shift
Due to a lack of natural options, Manchester United boss Ten Hag deployed him as a left-back on a few occasions. Here’s what he had to say about the drastic positional shift:
“A lot happened last season. I played full-back and was a little uneasy about it but that was because, with the team losing or drawing, you want to be in the attack to turn things around and help the team, so being moved into defense bothered me a bit, you feel annoyed in the moment during the game, but afterwards it’s all fine… I have tremendous affection for Erik.”
Manchester United signed Antony from Ajax for a whopping €95 million ($103.71 million) fee in August 2022. He has since played 82 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 11 times and providing five assists.
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