Antony was in tears during his Real Betis unveiling as he admitted his final few months at Manchester United was ‘difficult’.
The Brazil international thrived during his loan spell with Real Betis in the second half of last season but had to wait until deadline day in order to complete a £21.65 million permanent move back to the Spanish club.
Antony, who United signed from Ajax for £82m three years ago, was frozen out of Ruben Amorim’s first-team squad in the summer and was forced to train away from his teammates.
Betis officially unveiled the Brazilian winger on Tuesday and the 25-year-old was clearly still emotional after it appeared in the closing stages of the window that a return was in doubt.
‘Seville is more beautiful than Manchester. I’m finally here,’ Antony said.
Your ultimate guide to the football season
Metro’s football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it’s an open goal.
‘I spent more than 40 days in a hotel, it was very hard, but everyone knew I wanted to return to Betis.
‘Now with more time, we have so many things to do and achieve. I had trouble sleeping after seeing so much affection from the Betis fans, there were people waiting at my house at 2am.’
When asked about his final few months at United, Antony replied: ‘Only my family knows how difficult it was to be there. Training separately… but I knew this incredible moment was coming.
‘Of course, I was afraid it wouldn’t happen in the end, but I waited because I had so much faith.’
Antony also reiterated his desire to return to Betis following his loan spell last season.
‘I always made it very clear that my only option was Betis,’ Antony said.
‘It’s a club I have a lot of affection for. It was always my first choice, and that’s why I waited until the last day. It’s a city I love, and I’m really looking forward to representing all the fans on the pitch.’
Meanwhile, Betis president, Angel Haro, revealed he was concerned in the summer that a permanent deal to sign Antony was off the table.
‘Manchester United didn’t want a loan, but rather to sell the player,’ Haro said.
‘From there, negotiations began, and I have to admit that there was a moment when they broke down.
‘But footballers tend to play wherever they want, and Antony wanted to play for Betis. That has helped a lot.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
