In 4 short years, Antony rapidly advanced in his career as he prepared to become MU’s expensive contract in the summer transfer window of 2022.
With a transfer fee of up to 100 million euros, Antony is about to become the fourth most expensive contract in Premier League history if he joins MU. The 22-year-old striker is just behind the “blockbusters” like Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Jack Grealish. It is a dream journey for a player who just moved to Europe to start his career two years ago.
Going up from the slums
Growing up in the Inferninho slum, one of the most dangerous areas of Osasco, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Antony regularly witnessed criminals fleeing the police. Evil appears everywhere on the streets and alleys.
After what happened in her childhood, Antony was no longer afraid. When recalling the difficult past, the striker only smiled. “The real pressure was when I lived in the slums, went to school at 9am and wasn’t sure if I could survive until 9pm to get home,” Antony said.
The ball brought happiness to Antony. This choice changes the fate of the Brazilian boy. Antony chose to join the Sao Paulo academy team in 2010. A new path opened up for the young striker.
In 2018, Antony had the first achievement in his life as a player. This striker and the Sao Paulo youth team won the J.League Challenge in Japan. Antony was honored in the category of the best player of the tournament.
In September 2018, Antony and two teammates Helinho and Igor Gomes were promoted to train with the Sao Paulo first team. The striker officially played his first game for the club in November 2018, in a match against Gremio.
In early 2019, Sao Paulo’s leadership wanted to send Antony back to the U20 team to continue training. That was the time when the Brazilian striker had the opportunity to travel in the US and face Eintracht Frankfurt and Ajax.
Alexandre Passaro, former CEO of Sao Paulo, told the BBC: “Unlike other young players who would turn down the board’s offer, Antony accepted immediately. Even though the training period was a dream come true. the wish of any young player.” Antony’s attitude was appreciated by Mr. Passaro.
Returning to the Under-20 team, with the talent available, Antony left a stellar performance and attracted the attention of Ajax. “They offered a transfer fee of 3 million euros to Antony in 2018,” Mr. Passaro said. “Ajax was willing to spend more money to bring him to Amsterdam to play at that time. At this point, we understand that Antony is no longer a young player, but an attractive business.”
In February 2020, Antony officially joined Ajax for a fee of 25 million euros, opening a new page in the Brazilian player’s career. After 57 matches with the mighty Netherlands, Antony scored 18 goals and became one of the top stars in the tournament.
Did you know that from the 1980s until the mid-2000s, Brazil was considered the most violent country in the world that was not in a state of war. The slums are filled with gunfire, drugs and crime.
“The five months I spent there, the slums were very dangerous,” said Antony, who was born in 2000 in Osasco, on the outskirts of Sao Paolo, Brazil. “Right across from my house was the drug market. As a child I witnessed gunfights between white merchants and the police. My parents told me to stay away from that place every day.”
Outside was like that, inside Antony’s house was also broken. His family has 5 people and parents have to work hard so that the children do not go hungry. Father Jose arrived at the sawmill at 6 a.m. and came home only when the clock struck 9 p.m., and mother Cremilda worked in a clothing store. When Antony was 10 years old, they divorced, a decision the kids never understood.
Fortunately, they still get along and raise their children together. Sister Emilly and brother Emerson are also aware of the problem to worry more about their brother Antony. My brother Emerson also taught me how to play football and directed me to join the futsal team. It was on the futsal field that the scouts of the Sao Paulo club discovered and brought Antony to the team.
That day, young Antony didn’t even have football boots and decent clothes. Food is not enough to buy food. Seeing her son suffering with socks and shoes, his mother had to think of a way. She stole shoes from the store and brought them back to her children.
Despite his hunger, Antony was never ashamed of his background. He was always proud of growing up in the slums, where everyone in the family loved each other and formed a basic principle of life: humility. At the age of 18, after being promoted to Sao Paolo’s first team and signing his first professional contract, Antony used all the money he had acquired to buy a new home in a safer area of Osasco for the family to move there. (Of course, he also went back to the store with his mother to pay for the “borrowed” shoes from the day before.)
New Hope at Old Trafford
Antony is different now. BBC revealed that the Brazilian striker gained 7 kg of muscle after the Covid-19 pandemic. Next November, Antony is about to have the first World Cup in his career.
Antony brought a lot of expectations when he reunited with coach Erik ten Hag at MU. The two combined well during the two years of working together at Ajax. Antony needs MU to upgrade himself, while coach Ten Hag assesses that the student has the right qualities to develop at Old Trafford.
“At the age of 22, it’s true that things are happening too fast for Antony,” added Mr. Passaro. “Antony lacks experience. However, I can say that the coaches who have worked with Antony do not want to lose him. This is true of Ten Hag, Andre Jardine (former Brazil U23 and Sao Paulo coach) or Tite (coach) Brazil captain)”.
According to Mr. Passaro, coach Ten Hag highly appreciates Antony’s character. “Obviously it’s very unlikely that a team like Man City or Tottenham would pay the same amount for Antony, but Ten Hag knows what he’s getting,” he added.
In the national team shirt, Antony also left a mark. In Brazil’s last two matches in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in March, Antony started and shone with two assists. This Antony is compared to Neymar in terms of speed and technical qualities. In addition, coach Tite also praised Antony’s skillful feet.
During a World Cup qualifying match in South America, Neymar defended Antony when the youngster was eager to dribble and refused to pass the ball to his teammates. “Just let him dribble and do his job,” Neymar said.
Impressive performance in the national team shirt added confidence to Antony. But difficulties in the Premier League also await the 22-year-old player. The pressure of a €100 million signing is huge, which could knock Antony’s confidence if he doesn’t prove it on the pitch.
