By Daniel Orme
Antony has praised Diogo Dalot for helping him overcome a tricky period at Manchester United.
The Brazilian winger has endured a difficult couple of seasons sincearriving at Old Trafford for £86m from Ajax. He scored just eight goals during his debut campaign.
Things have got even worse for Antony since then. He has fallen down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag, scoring just twice this season.
It has also been claimed that the Red Devils would be willing to cut their losses on the 24-year-old. But Antony still has support in the dressing room and has picked out Portuguese defender Dalot for his support during his time at Old Trafford.
Speaking to United’s official website, the Brazilian said: “I'm very grateful to God and to a friend I talk to a lot. Diogo Dalot is more than a friend to me, he's a guy who helps me every day at the club.
“We have a phrase that we always say to each other: the patient guy is unbeatable. We always talk about it. So I'm very grateful to him for his advice, for the moments we had together talking. He's a guy who's helped me a lot.”
Dalot has spoken out on his friendship with Antony in the past. Explaining a handshake that the pair shared after the Brazilian had set up the defender for a goal vs Nottingham Forest last season, he said: "It’s our thing. I’m happy I have a good relationship with him, he’s a fantastic kid, I like to be around him."
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Antony found the net during his most recent outing - the dramatic 4-3 win against Liverpool in the FA Cup. Erik ten Hag claimed that he was approaching the player he originally signed after that performance.
The Dutchman said: “It's very important for him. He struggled so much. First part, he was not himself, he's responsible for that. And then he lost confidence, and now he has to fight back. We see through the last two weeks, he's returning.
“I see in training, I see the Antony I was used to work with at Ajax, and also used to work in the first weeks here. He has to fight back, and I'm sure he will do, because you've seen that goal.
“But not only in the goal. When he's going to left full-back position, he's defending very well. In certain systems, he can play from that side. He's not a defending player, don't get me wrong, because we have seen, he can score goals.”
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