Antony has admitted that he went "days without eating" and considered retirement during his darkest moment at Manchester United.
The 25-year-old forward, who is currently enjoying a successful loan spell at Real Betis, signed for the Red Devils from Ajax for £85m in September 2022, but he struggled to justify his hefty price-tag.
Antony scored just 12 goals in 96 appearances for Man United across all competitions, featuring in just 14 matches this season under former boss Erik ten Hag and current head coach Ruben Amorim.
The Brazil international was the subject of allegations of domestic abuse by three women in September 2023, but he was not arrested or charged in either his native homeland or the UK and denies all allegations.
While the case in Brazil was closed in August 2024, an investigation by the Greater Manchester Police into the alleged incidents that are said to have occurred in the UK remains open.
In January last year, Ten Hag revealed that Antony's "off-field issues" were impacting his form on the pitch, and Antony has since given an emotional interview, breaking down in tears while reflecting on a challenging period in his life at Old Trafford.
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Tearful Antony opens up on lowest moment at Man United
Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports Brazil, Antony said: "I always say that I had good moments but I had very difficult moments too. Not only on the field but off it. People who ended up disturbing me a lot mentally.
"I went through some very difficult times [at Man United] that ended up affecting me a lot. But I am very grateful even for these difficult moments that I went through. Today, I feel much more mature, much more prepared, I feel much better.
"It was a moment when I thought about stopping playing. I no longer felt that desire to play football because of everything I was going through, because of all the accusations and because I had remained silent for so long.
"[My career] has changed a lot [at Betis]. It changed a lot because I needed to find myself, for everything I went through there in my personal life. I wanted to do things, but it seemed like it wasn't happening because I wasn't happy, I wasn't feeling that desire to play football anymore, and I needed to find myself.
"Playing football was always something that I loved and I went through difficult times when I didn't feel that pleasure anymore.
"I would always talk to my brother, I used to say, 'I can't do it anymore, I can't do it anymore'. He said: 'Hold on a little longer and things will change'.
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"I even get emotional because it was very difficult for me. Only I know what it was like inside the house, not even having the strength to even play with my son, having days without eating, staying in my room.
"It was very complicated but with the help of my family with the help of God, I managed to turn things around. I'm already very happy here."
Antony praises Pellegrini for finding form at Betis
Antony joined Real Betis on a straight loan deal from Man United in January and has since established himself as a key player for the Spanish side, recording nine goals and five assists in 25 appearances during the second half of the season.
The forward is now preparing for the Conference League final against Chelsea on Wednesday and has praised head coach Manuel Pellegrini for helping him rediscover his best form in his favoured right-wing position.
He said: "From the first conversation I had with him, he gave me incredible confidence, he made me feel very comfortable.
"And when I got here, the conversation we had was very positive. He told me: 'I know your potential, you didn't join the national team for nothing, you didn't play in a World Cup for nothing, you know what a player you are, you've been through difficult times and you have your responsibilities, you have your part of the blame too'. But he made me feel very comfortable.
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"He always gave me a lot of confidence and he always told me: 'I don't want you to make 20 plays, I want you to make five, six with the aim of scoring, an assist, that will already help me a lot. I took all that advice and Pellegrini is a coach that I'm very grateful to."
Antony "smiling" and "happy", but remains unsure over future
Antony has confirmed that he is "happy" and "doing well", but his long-term future remains up in the air, with the forward contract at Old Trafford running until 2027 with a club-held option of a further year.
"I have the feeling that I could have done more with the United jersey but I'm also very grateful for everyone's affection that I had there," said Antony. "I even have a lot of contact there.
"It was a difficult moment that I went through, and today I'm smiling here and I'm happy. I always say that I'm doing my part. I'm playing football, I'm happy and I'm doing well. I don't know about the future.
"I'll keep doing my part so that when the transfer window opens, my agents are working on it. But now my focus is on doing well and we'll see what happens in the future."
According to Sky Sports News, Man United declined to comment when approached for a response to Antony's comments.
Oliver Thomas
