Manchester United’s rookie Antony experienced a difficult and tearful childhood in the slums on the outskirts of Sao Paulo (Brazil).

In the last summer transfer window, Manchester United splashed out £86 million to acquire Brazilian forward Antony from Ajax. This marks the second most expensive signing in the history of the Old Trafford club, following Paul Pogba’s return from Juventus for £89 million.

In his debut match for MU, Antony scored the opening goal, contributing to a 3-1 victory over Arsenal in the sixth round of the Premier League. After the game, Antony admitted to feeling “goosebumps” upon scoring amidst the excited cheers of tens of thousands of fans in the stands at Old Trafford.

Antony scored in his MU debut

For the success Antony enjoys today, he is deeply grateful for the unwavering support and wholehearted assistance from his family, especially from his older brother. The family’s foundation provided Antony with the opportunity to unleash his full potential as a footballer and become a star at MU, one of the greatest clubs in the history of world football.

Antony is particularly thankful for his brother, Emerson Santos. Santos stood by Antony, helping him steer clear of drug traffickers. During his childhood, Antony often slept on a sofa in a dilapidated house on the outskirts of Sao Paulo (Brazil), where the smell of marijuana constantly lingered in the air.

Antony had an extremely rough childhood

Antony reminisces about his tumultuous childhood, filled with tears, as he shares on Sky Sports: “I was just a humble kid from a slum. I didn’t have shoes to play football. I didn’t have a bedroom; I slept on the sofa.

I lived right in the middle of the slum. Twenty meters from my house, there were drug dealers. Sometimes, while watching a match on Sundays, you could smell it, the scent of marijuana seeping into our home.

There were moments when my siblings and I cried and hugged each other, thinking about our lives. There were times in the middle of the night when we had to bail water out of our ‘flooded’ house, but we still had to do it with a smile on our faces.”

His older brother, Emerson Santos, now acts as a sort of assistant, helping Antony with everything outside of football. Santos has been the driving force behind Antony’s career, helping him join Sao Paulo’s first team at the age of 18 before making a solo move to Ajax in 2020, where Antony clinched two Eredivisie titles under coach Erik ten Hag.

The explosion at Old Trafford gave Antony goosebumps.

Antony continues: “My older brother has always been by my side; he taught me how to dribble. He’s still with me to this day, nurturing my career. He coached me and helped develop my skills.

So, I always had this plan; I would become a footballer. I never had any other plan; this was always what I thought about. I always loved playing football.”

Antony also spoke about the struggles he faced when he arrived in the Netherlands to play football and couldn’t see his son due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antony is determined to go to MU to reunite with teacher Ten Hag.

“I arrived at Ajax alone during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Antony adds. “It was incredibly challenging being away from my son. I missed his ‘first steps.’ It’s the sacrifice we have to make, the price we have to pay. I have no regrets.

It’s all for a better future for my son, to make him proud of me. No matter how much it hurts, those nights spent crying thinking about my son, the pain is worth it. Now, my son is by my side, everything is going well, and I’m very happy.”