EDWIN VAN DER SAR wants Man Utd flop Antony to be given another chance at Manchester United next season under Ruben Amorim.
The £86million signing from Ajax started brightly at Old Trafford before his form dropped off a cliff and he became a scapegoat for manager Erik Ten Hag’s underwhelming stint in charge.
In his second season, he lost his place in the Man Utd side before being shipped out on loan to Real Betis where he starred in LaLiga and in a run to the Conference League final before being beaten by Chelsea.
Betis bosses wanted to make the move permanent after he scored eight goals and got five assists under Manuel Pellegrini.
That included playing a starring role against Real Madrid, with club legend Joaquin even joking that he would provide the car for Antony’s kidnapping if need be to allow him to stay in Seville for another year.
Antony also made it clear he would love to stay at Betis, insisting, “I love the club, the city, everything. The sunshine, the people, the food: it reminds me of Brazil.
“And most importantly, I’ve found myself. I wasn’t playing much [at United]. I needed to be happy in myself.”
Unfortunately for all involved, that move wasn’t able to be made permanent given the transfer fee that Man Utd would demand for their expensive asset, which led to Antony saying a tearful goodbye to the Beticos.
“From heaven to hell. The ball stopped going in, the joy faded, my world darkened, and I began to doubt myself, my talent, and my passion for the game.
“That’s when football gave me one last gift: Real Betis. From the first step into this club, I felt something different.”
Now the Brazilian’s next step remains unclear, with rumours circling that Antony could be rescued from his Man Utd nightmare by ex-boss Erik Ten Hag at Bayer Leverkusen.
But former United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar thinks that the winger has done enough to earn a second chance at the Red Devils.
“Luckily, I’m not in a position anymore to dictate at a club which kind of players have to come, but they’re on the right track by signing a more experienced striker, maybe with another one on the way.
“The two players they signed in the winter break were good, so they should be fine if they give faith to the manager.
“Maybe [Alejandro] Garnacho’s going to go, I would say bring Antony back, but I’m not sure if that’s realistic.”
