Antony has signed for Manchester United for a fee just shy of £85 million, with an extra £4 million in add-ons.
The 22-year-old joins the Manchester club from Ajax, a route already trodden this summer by current Reds Erik ten Hag and Lisandro Martinez.
Antony’s background, as revealed by BBC Sport, has been one of great hardship and perseverance.
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The young Brazilian grew up just outside Sao Paulo in a favela called Inferninho – which translates as ‘Little Hell’.
He would often see shocking events around the neighbourhood, including drug dealers, people running from and fighting the police, as well as people being killed near his house.
This rough childhood is one unfortunately endured by many young children in Brazil, some of which go on to become involved in such activities at an older age.
However, Antony had faith in his footballing ability and joined Sao Paulo’s football club, playing in their youth teams.
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After suffering hardships such as this during his childhood, it comes as a surprise to no one that Antony isn’t scared of much anymore.
Speaking of his childhood, Antony said: "Real pressure was when I lived in a favela and left for school at nine in the morning not sure whether I would be able to eat again until nine in the night.
“That's some pressure. Otherwise, we can all adapt.”
As revealed by former Sao Paulo executive director Alexandre Passaro, Antony is incredibly family orientated.
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"We renewed his contract a few times at Sao Paulo and every single time he brought his entire family to the signature - his mother, his father, his brother, his sister, everyone,” Passaro described.
“It was always about the family.”
Antony has always been an incredibly sensible and rational person, and once made the decision himself to be demoted back to Sao Paulo’s U20 team after training with the first team in 2019 – a decision which changed the course of this career.
He wanted to play for the U20 side due to their entry into Brazil’s top youth competition Copa Sao Paulo.
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Antony went on to score 4 goals and provide 6 assists during the tournament as Sao Paulo U20’s claimed victory. It was here where he stood out from the crowd as a potential world-beater.
Once Antony made it into the Brazil national team squad, he caught the eye of one of the country's all-time greats, Neymar Jr. According to Marcus Alves of the BBC, there was a particular fixture where Brazil manager Tite requested that Antony pass the ball more.
"No,” was Neymar’s reaction on the field. “Let the kid dribble and do his own thing!"
Continuing to speak about Antony, Passaro said: "It may seem like he's just a 22-year-old boy, that things are moving too fast for him and he doesn't have much experience.
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“But I can tell you one thing: every coach that works with him doesn't want to let him go. It has happened with Ten Hag, but with other coaches in Brazil like Andre Jardine and Tite.
"They have a different perception of Antony because they know the phenomenon that he is in the daily work, the absurd things that he does with the ball, how talented he is.”
Passaro explains how Manchester United have signed themselves a player who will give his all for the club and deliver exactly what is necessary to win the game under Erik ten Hag.
"He's the kind of player that delivers what you need and gives you no trouble,” Passaro said. “It would obviously be highly unlikely that a team like Manchester City or Tottenham paid the same money for him, but Ten Hag knows what he's getting."
Antony will not make his United debut against Leicester City on Thursday, but it is likely that he will be available for selection under Erik ten Hag on Sunday as Manchester United take on Arsenal.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Antony, Erik Ten Hag, Brazil, Neymar