Antony flopped at Manchester United, but is thriving at Real Betis and knows all about pressure having previously "played against drug traffickers".
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Brazilian grew up in 'Little Hell' favelaPutting those experiences to good useThriving in Spain after Red Devils flopFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! đ˘đąWHAT HAPPENED?
The Brazil international grew up in the infamous Inferinho favela on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, which translates as âLittle Hellâ. Unsurprisingly, he picked up plenty of important life lessons from the school of hard knocks.
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Antony was never one to back down from a challenge, and has been showing that professionally of late after rediscovering a lost spark during a loan spell in Spain. After being written off at Old Trafford, following an ÂŁ85 million ($110m) transfer in 2022, the 25-year-old has been earning widespread praise in Andalusia.
WHAT ANTONY SAID
Antony has told of why he finds it easy to ignore supposed troubles in his football career: "When Iâm asked about pressure, I say âwhat pressure?â I faced pressure in the favela when I didnât have shoes to play, I played against drug traffickers and everything. That was real pressure.
"When I left in the morning to go to school I often didnât eat. So when I go through difficult moments I always think about the challenges that I overcame in the past."
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Antony has previously told of his experiences as a youngster in Brazil: "On my walk to school one morning, when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old, I came across a man laying in the alley. He was not moving. When I got closer, I realised he was dead.
"In the favela, you become kind of numb to these things. There was no other way to go, and I had to get to school. So I just closed my eyes and jumped over the dead body. I am not saying this to sound tough. It was just my reality. In fact, I always say that I was very lucky as a child, because despite all of our struggles, I was given a gift from heaven.
"The ball was my saviour. My love from the cradle. In Inferninho, we donât care about toys for Christmas. Any ball that rolls is perfect to us. I refused to bow my head to anyone. I would elastico the drug dealers. Rainbow the bus drivers. Nutmeg the thieves. I really did not give a f*ck. With a ball at my feet, I had no fear."