ANTONY has completed an incredible journey from Sao Paulo to Manchester — via Amsterdam.
The Brazilian winger, 22, is now preparing for his Manchester United debut after arriving from Ajax in a stunning £85.5million deal.
While still a teenager, he wrote a book detailing his struggles in the Sao Paulo youth system while living in the city district of Osasco.
Charlie Wyett leafs through his diary, From Overcoming A Real Dream, where he describes when he broke into the first team.
How can four months change a person’s life? I went from distrust to glory in four months.
I went from being unknown to one of the greatest prospects of Brazilian football. I left Osasco for the world. All this in four months.
In these four months I’ve needed to have a lot of strength, faith and the ability to overcome in order to reach my great objective: to be a pro footballer with Sao Paulo.
I hope this diary serves as an inspiration for how life can change quickly when you believe in your target. It’s the beginning of a story that won’t stop for anything or anybody.
2019 started in a sad way for me. I expected to play for Brazil’s Under-20s and for Sao Paulo in the Florida Cup. I didn’t get called up. I didn’t understand, I wanted a chance.
I played in the Sao Paulo Cup, with my head up, and the rest is history.
I grew in the competition, became more confident and my growth started there.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
I had to be patient, I tried to listen and learn from the oldest players. When my chance came, I was going to grab it.
I came on as a sub, we won, and I started to feel pleasure in what was to come in my career.
I was sad I didn’t get picked for the next game. They changed coach. What would become of me, still trying to get my space?
The new coach, Vagner Mancini, spoke to me a lot.
From then on, the players began to receive me in a different way and to help me a lot. My confidence grew as I played more minutes.
All that was missing was a goal and I scored a nice goal on March 20 against Sao Caetano.
I didn’t know how to celebrate, I just wanted to take it all in. I will remember my first goal all my life, especially as it was so important as it meant us qualifying.
We beat the favourites, Palmeiras, on penalties in the semi-final of the Brazilian league championship. It was the happiest time of my career.
I was so excited about the final against Corinthians. I was so anxious that I didn’t eat on the day of the game and I wasn’t well. I wasn’t the Antony of other games.
I scored in the second leg. I started to think of the path I’d taken, remembering I’d been on the club’s discard list three times.
And, suddenly, I was there in a final, scoring a goal.
Unfortunately, we lost. I couldn’t contain my tears. After the game, I was able to take it in and feel satisfaction with the path to get there.
After four months, I’m no longer the same Antony. How much I’ve developed.
Now I will work double and learn double so that the path to success becomes a reality and a constant in my career. I lost a cup, I won a cup.
I learnt to lose and take good things even in defeat.
I feel confident. When I enter the pitch, I do everything with heart and soul. I’m ready for the next challenges.
Fans say the same thing as Luke Shaw is spotted bulked up in Man Utd training
Chelsea ace Jorginho tracked by Barcelona with contract expiring this summer
Covid alerts made me so anxious I blew £160k betting on table tennis, says Merson
Gang charged in connection with £500k raid on City ace Mahrez’s penthouse
©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers’ Limited’s Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. View our online Press Pack. For other inquiries, Contact Us. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)
Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/