Antony Santos held his first interview in a red shirt. The club unveiled Antony during the course of Thursday.
The Brazillian international will finally reunite with his former boss at Old Trafford. This follows the saga which was prolonged by Ajax after the Amsterdam based club rejected offers from Manchester United.
The parties came to an agreement on Sunday. A staggering €100 million will see Antony playing for the Red Devils.
Speaking to MUTV, Antony stated:
“First of all, I’m really happy to be here at Manchester United. It’s my dream come true. I’m really grateful for the support and faith shown in me by everyone here. I want to make history here, I hope to achieve great things with the club. I’m delighted and honoured to look at my chest and see that I’m wearing the badge of this massive club.”
The veteran forward relishes his relationship with Erik ten Hag. When asked about his reunion with the gaffer, Antony reiterated:
“Erik ten Hag is an excellent coach. I’ve got tremendous respect and affection for him. From the moment I arrived at Ajax he treated me so well and put his faith in me. It’s not by chance I had such a great run of form under him for two years. We developed this mutual trust and closeness. He’s a manager I have respect and affection for – when I found out he was moving here I wished him all the best and all the success he deserves. Now I’m alongside him once again, I hope to make history and develop and grow further under his management.”
Antony added that: “It goes without saying, it was the club that opened their doors to me from the moment I arrived. They made me feel so welcome and at home. Today I have a new challenge and Ajax were an important part of this for having opened their doors to me. I’m really grateful, I can only thank them for everything.”
The 22-year-old further expressed his excitement to work with his compatriot, Fred and Casemiro:
“Firstly, I’m really happy to meet the Brazilians here. I’m really happy to be reunited with them again from the national team, now we’re here together. I hope to learn a lot from them. Fred’s talked to me about the club, I hope to make history with them here at Manchester United and grow and develop alongside my two fellow Brazilians”.
Manchester United will face Leicester City this evening away at King Power Stadium. Antony will not feature because he did not get work-permit and visa approval on time. He is expected to make his debute on Sunday against Arsenal.