When the electronic board was raised to signal a substitution shortly after the hour mark at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, Antony was replaced by Jadon Sancho and the wide, beaming grin etched across his face was visible from the Stretford End.
Erik ten Hag also couldn't help but smile and the player was greeted by chants of 'Sancho, Sancho, Sancho' as he entered the field. It was the first time his name had been chanted and it was a heartwarming moment for a player who has struggled.
The £72.9million that was invested in Sancho to sign him for Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021 seemed like a genuine coup, but his time at the club has not gone to plan and his appearance against Nottingham Forest was his first in three months.
