Antony opens up about his tough past in a favela

Manchester United winger Antony gave an interview to talk about his ambitions for next campaign and promised Red Devils fans that he has "matured" and is "ready to achieve great things" with the English club.

However, that was not the only thing the Brazilian talked about in the interview, he also spoke about his childhood and his past. "My childhood was very difficult. I talked about the difficult times I went through last year, but I've overcome more significant difficulties in the favela," he claimed.

"Like when I didn't have boots to play football and when at times there wasn't enough to eat. It's tremendously rewarding to see where I am today, living the dream of playing for United. I often look at photos of the favela on my phone to remember where I came from and everything I overcame to get where I am," he added.

"I always get emotional talking about the favela because it's somewhere I learnt so much through adversity. We had nothing, just our faith in God and determination. It's not by chance that I have the favela where I grew up tattooed across my back. I have such love and affection for it.

"When people talk about me or criticise me, I always find solace in where I came from. I'll never let anyone else write my story or let people put me down, as I genuinely know what it's like to be at the bottom."

He went on to add: "You go from not having enough to eat. I didn't have a bedroom. I slept on the sofa in the living room and my house would flood when it rained heavily. These are things that people don't see, what we went through and suffered."