Seville, Spain — Antony Matheus dos Santos don turn new star for Real Betis as fans dey chant his name. The Brazilian winger joined the club on loan from Manchester United back in January without any option to buy, but his impact don dey show say he go fit challenge for La Liga Best Player title.
Raised for Inferninho, a favela outside São Paulo, Antony don hustle through tough life conditions. E talk say e get days wey him no fit chop anything, and as small boy, e don jump over dead body just to reach school. “I played against traffickers and all sorts,” e share. “If you ask if I was scared, of course I was. But I always had a strong personality and the harder it was, the more I wanted to be there,” e confirm.
But dat na old story. For Seville, life don change well for Antony, who dey feel loved by fans and players alike. Just last week, Isco playfully joke say dem go kidnap am if e try to leave. “Antonio of Triana, we’re going to kidnap you: this is your first warning,” Isco post for Instagram wahala.
The fans truly don embrace Antony o! Dem don dey celebrate every match wey e perform, especially after him score a stunning 91st-minute goal against Espanyol wey secure a comeback 2-1 victory. “Monumental,” William Carvalho, his teammate, call the goal, as e bend perfectly into the top corner.
Antony don score seven goals and provide four assists since e join Betis, turning dem from struggling team to serious contenders in La Liga. As e dey play, dem dey wonder wetin a player like him dey do for this level. “Pellegrini has given me a lot of confidence,” Antony say, as e show appreciation for the coach wey believe in am.
Real Betis no just dey play well, dem dey eye Champions League qualification after a long time. But as dem improve, e don dey become clear say keeping Antony go hard. “We have to enjoy this and then we will see,” Joaquín, former Betis star, say, emphasize say dem go do anything to hold the young talent down. “Even if it’s just for one more year,” Isco add, suggesting say kidnapping no go bad if e fit make Antony stay.
Antony dey full of joy as e adapt well to life for Seville, saying, “I love the club, the city, everything. The sunshine, the people, the food: it reminds me of Brazil. And the most important thing of all is that here I have found myself.” E dey shine bright, no doubt, and as fans rally around am, dem show say this love story between Betis and Antony don just begin.
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