Manchester United loanee Antony has spoken of his joy having swapped the Old Trafford malaise for the Seville sunshine.
The Brazilian has been an instant hit at Real Betis, scoring three goals in his first four matches and winning three Player of the Match awards for his impressive displays.
Antony’s recent form has been in stark contrast to his miserable spell in Manchester following an £85million move from Ajax in 2022 and the 24-year-old has opened up on his renewed energy since making the switch to LaLiga.
‘I’ve had a great time in Manchester too, I won two titles and I’m very grateful,’ he told Spanish outlet AS. ‘But when I say that I’ve found myself here, I’m happy, the people are like us in Brazil. The sun helps a lot.
‘I’m very happy here. I wake up every day with a smile and that’s very important.
‘I have a lot of friends who played here and they left me very calm so that I could sign here. I was sure in my heart that coming here was the best decision for me. I hope to continue like this.’
Antony has made a tremendous start to life in LaLiga with Real Betis, scoring three goals in first four matches
The Brazilian winger was surplus to requirements under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United
The 24-year-old revealed he now wakes with a smile on his face and lauded his new Betis team-mates
Antony reserved special praise for former Real Madrid midfielder Isco, who the Brazilian hailed as a ‘great player’
As part of their loan agreement with United, Betis have agreed to cover a large portion of his salary, which is in excess of £100,000 per week.
Betis have already made it clear that they are open to keeping Antony on a permanent deal, while United will now be looking to recoup a portion of the sum they spent to sign him in 2022.
Another reason for Antony’s revitalisation is his connection with new team-mates Isco and former Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.
The Brazilian highlighted the influence of the pair and lauded Isco, who won five Champions League titles during a glittering nine-year spell with Real Madrid.
He added: ‘Isco is a great player, he has a lot of experience, he is a star and we all know it. He tells me that he is very happy for me.
‘Having him by my side is easier, you get along very well with him. With Lo Celso too. And with other team-mates, too.’
Betis, managed by former Manchester City and West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini, currently sit eighth in LaLiga and are in the race for European qualification this term.
The side remain in the Europa Conference League and head into a play-off second leg tie against Belgian side Gent with a 3-0 lead from the first match.
