The lounge of a five-star hotel in Beverly Hills is an odd setting for Antony to talk about life in the favela of Inferninho in Sao Paulo. Little Hell.
His back has an image of the ghetto tattooed on it and his boots have the word “favela” on them, as if he needed a lasting reminder.
As if he would forget what it was like to grow up surrounded by drugs and violence, or how he stepped over a dead body on his way to school at the age of eight, or how he had an impoverished childhood playing indoor soccer barefoot because his parents couldn’t afford boots, or how he was hungry until nine o’clock at night when they came home from work.
As if he would forget that they slept between them, because the rain poured into the living room and he could no longer lie on the couch, until they separated when he was 10.
Antony was still sharing a bed with his father when he made his professional debut for Sao Paulo, just 18 months before signing for Erik ten Hag at Ajax and three years before following the Dutchman to Manchester United in a deal worth £86million.
Antony has explained how difficulties in his personal life have affected his performances
He has a tattoo of his childhood favela on his back, a tribute to the place that made him one of the most beloved places in the world.
No one is pretending that it has been smooth sailing. The Brazilian winger has far from justified that transfer fee in two seasons at Old Trafford, during which he has scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 82 games. In exactly the same number of games at Ajax, he has produced 24 goals and provided 22 assists for Ten Hag.
And then there is the frowning, the showing off, the taking it out on his manager for selecting him as an emergency reserve left-back, the covering of the ears of defeated Coventry players after United won a penalty shootout on their way to the FA Cup final against Manchester City in April and, of course, the off-field accusations.
Antony strongly denies that his ex-partner Gabriela Cavallin accused him of domestic violence, but it cost the 24-year-old his place in the Brazil squad and overshadowed his second season in England.
“Absolutely,” he agreed during United’s pre-season at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles ahead of their return to Wembley against City in the Community Shield on Saturday.
‘A lot has happened in my personal life in the past year. Whether you like it or not, everything I’ve been through has affected the pitch. It’s been very difficult for me and my entire family, but I’ve learned from it all. I’ve grown and matured.
“I think I learned a lot from the setbacks. I learn from everything I experience and learn that anything is possible if you persevere in achieving what you want. I left the past behind me, what I experienced last season.
‘There were also good moments. Winning a trophy in a United shirt is really important. I have matured and grown from it and this will make me stronger for this new season. I am much more focused and prepared to achieve great things.’
There is very little you can tell Antony that he hasn’t encountered in the favela, and much worse. The emotion is clear on his face and in his voice as he describes what 19 years in Inferninho has taught him.
“My childhood was very difficult,” he said. “I talked about the hard times I went through last year, but I overcame greater difficulties in the favela. Like when I didn’t have shoes to play football and when sometimes there wasn’t enough to eat.
Antony showed his displeasure at being deployed at left back during the home defeat to Arsenal
The winger was approached by Scott McTominay (centre right) and Christian Eriksen during the conversation
He was clearly frustrated at having to play in a different position against Arsenal on Sunday
‘It’s incredibly satisfying to see where I am now, living the dream of playing for United. I often look at photos of the favela on my phone to remind me where I came from and all I’ve overcome to get where I am today.
‘I always get emotional when I talk about the favela because it is a place where I learned so much through adversity. We had nothing, just our faith in God and determination.
‘It’s no coincidence that I have the favela where I grew up tattooed on my back. I have so much love and affection for it.
‘I saw many friends walk a different path and some of them lost their lives. I always persevered and believed in my dream to be where I am today.
“When people talk about me or criticize me, I always find comfort in where I come from. I will never let anyone else write my story or bring me down because I truly know what it’s like to be at the bottom of the ladder.
“I know what I’ve been through. I know what my mother, father, brother and sister have been through with me. And then there’s my wife who I’ve known since 2017, she was with me in the favela. The most difficult moment in my childhood was my parents’ divorce in 2010 when I was 10.
‘I am really grateful to the favela, it is a place where I have suffered a lot, but always with a smile on my face. It is a place that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I always play with favela on my boots, because it is always with me.
Antony said it is “hugely satisfying” to see how far he has come from the favela
He has become a pantomime villain among rival fans as he struggles to justify his price tag
“I saw many friends take a different path and some of them lost their lives,” he said
Antony strongly denies allegations of domestic violence by his ex-partner Gabriela Cavallin
‘A lot of people don’t have this understanding, where you come from and what you’ve overcome. You come from nothing and now have practically everything with such ease – it’s hard to deal with it all.
“You go from not having enough to eat. I didn’t have a bedroom. I slept on the couch in the living room and my house flooded when it rained hard. These are things that people don’t see, what we went through and suffered.
‘I remember when I was little, my father and mother worked a lot and only came home in the evenings. I told my mother that there would come a time when she could stop working and I would be the one who did the work and took care of things.
“Today I can make this dream come true. I see that my mother is well taken care of. I am running now.”
The idea that United paid far too much for Antony, giving Ajax £81.3m plus £4.27m in add-ons, has only grown stronger over time.
He scored on his debut against Arsenal, the first of three goals in six games, and eight in total for the season. Three more followed last season, including a huge goal in the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool, but the fiery Brazilian hit out at Ten Hag for moving him to left-back towards the end and did the same against Arsenal in the Premier League in May.
By the end of the season, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were firmly established as United’s first-choice wingers, with Antony an unused substitute for the last three games, including the cup final win over City. He also appears to have fallen behind Amad Diallo in pre-season.
Although Ten Hag described Antony as ‘unstoppable’, the evidence so far suggests otherwise. There is plenty of room for improvement from a winger who relies too much on his left foot and needs a better end product.
Antony’s playing time was limited last season, but he hopes to find his way into Ten Hag’s plans
“I’m someone who demands a lot from myself and I was clearly not happy with my season,” he said.
‘A lot happened last season. I played full-back and was a bit uncomfortable about that, but that was because in a team that loses or draws, you want to be in attack to turn the tide and help the team.
“Being put on the defensive bothered me a little bit. You feel irritated at the time during the game, but afterwards it’s all fine. I have a huge affection for Erik and he has a lot of affection for me. He’s a great coach and he knows he can count on me.”
In order to improve his performance, Antony and his partner Rosilene came up with the idea of listing his goals for the season.
“I have a lot of goals, goals that I write down for myself and a lot for this new season,” he added. “I haven’t been doing this for a long time, but I’m doing it a lot more this season. I have to do it for every game.
‘Always on paper, in my house. Usually I take the notes with me, but if I leave them at home, I always ask my wife to send me a picture of them.
‘There are many things that I write down in detail: how many shots I have to make in a match, I can’t lose the ball, I have to score goals and create assists, pass and dribble completions and also defensive performances, more work on the right side. I have many objectives.
‘Rest assured, you will hear Antony’s name in connection with goals and assists.’
