“Everything I went through had an effect” - Manchester United forward Antony says domestic abuse row put him down on the pitch

Manchester United forward Antony has opened up on his struggles at Old Trafford, admitting that personal life difficulties have affected his on-field performances. The Brazil star made these revelations in a recent interview ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Antony joined the Red Devils in 2022 for a reported £85 million deal from Ajax. However, he has not justified this price tag and has struggled to make an impact in Erik ten Hag's side. In 84 games for the club, he has managed just 11 goals and five assists, a massive drop in his goals and assists ratio while at Ajax.

Last term, the Brazilian winger's season was marred by a major off-the-field incident. He was accused of domestic abuse by his ex-girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin. These allegations alongside other personal issues Antony believes had an effect on the pitch.

Speaking recently in an interview ahead of his side's Community Shield clash with Manchester City on Saturday, August 10, he said (via Daily Mail):

"A lot happened over the year in my personal life. Like it or not, everything I went through had an effect on the pitch. It was very difficult for me and all my family, but I've learnt from it all. I've grown and matured."

The Manchester United star, however, believes that the difficulties of the previous season were a learning curve for him and have made him tougher. He said:

"I believe I learnt a lot from the adversity. I learn from everything I go through and learn that everything is possible when you persist in achieving what you want. I've put the past behind me, what I went through last season."

Antony added that he is fully focused on the upcoming season and looks to achieve great things with Manchester United. He said:

"There were good moments as well. Winning a trophy in a United shirt is really important. I matured and grew from it all and this will make me stronger going into this new season. I'm a lot more focussed and prepared to achieve great things."

Manchester United ace Antony assures fans of a better performance in the 2024-25 season

After struggling in his first two seasons at Old Trafford, Antony is determined to make Manchester United fans happy by improving in his all-round performance including scoring goals and making assists.

The 24-year-old admitted that he is working to improve his performance and has set objectives for the new season.

"I have a lot of objectives, ones I write down for myself and many for this new season," he said in the aforementioned interview. "I haven't been doing this for that long, but I'm doing it a lot more for this season. I have to do it for every game.

"There are a lot of things I note down in detail: how many shots I should be making in a game, I can't lose the ball, I need to score goals and create assists, pass and dribble completions as well as defensive performance, more work on the right foot. I have a lot of objectives. Rest assured, you'll hear the name Antony in relation to goals and assists," he added.

Manchester United will kick off their campaign with a crunch Community Shield battle against neighbors Manchester City at Wembley on August 10.