Antony knows exactly how to deal with the pressure of playing for Manchester United, with a potential Premier League debut against Arsenal on the horizon.
United announced the signing of Antony on Thursday after a painstaking summer of negotiations finally saw Erik ten Hag reunite with his former player. Ajax eventually agreed to sell the 22-year-old for an initial fee of €95million (£82.2m) that could potentially rise to €100m (£86.5m) with add-ons.
The Brazilian will bring a level of flair to United's front-line with his exceptional close control and ability to change direction quickly - the former Ajax forward will certainly be giving opposition defenders some sleepless nights in the near future.
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Yet at the young age of 22, Antony already demonstrates a remarkable level of maturity. A father to a young boy, and at the age of 19, he wrote and released a book 'From Overcoming a Real Dream', that describes the challenges of being an aspiring Brazilian footballer.
For most footballers, handling the pressure of playing for a club with the stature of United would be an incredibly daunting task. However, as he told the Guardian, Antony has learnt exactly how to deal with the occasion he currently faces.
“We become professionals knowing how to deal with criticism,” he said. “There are people who applaud you, while others boo. People curse and people compliment. I had to deal with it for a while, but I was always focused, working, knowing I was giving it my all daily. And things take a turn, like they did with me. They were picking on me, but then they cheered me on.”
“This [ability to handle pressure] comes from when we all still lived in the favela. My family taught me: ‘It doesn’t matter where you are, always stay humble.’ I’m sure I’m only here because I was able to keep my feet on the ground. That’s why I get along great with every other player. It’s the humility that brought me here. Being a big name or a promising prospect doesn’t matter.”
“My goals are to become a champion, to make history, grow as a footballer, and to be an example on and off the pitch. And maybe, in the future, who knows, enter the race to be crowned the best in the world.”
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