Indeed, for the €100m United paid Ajax for him, Antony admits they were right to expect more from him.
He told Marca: "When you pay €100m, you expect much more from the players.
"Obviously, I have my responsibility: as I've said many times, I've been through difficult personal situations and mentally I wasn't feeling very well.
"But these things happen in life and are part of the journey. As difficult as it was, I had to go through this too.
"Good moments? So many things. I'm talking about the difficult moments I've been through, but there have also been some very good moments. I've won trophies, I've made great friendships... All of this will stay with me for the rest of my life."
On leaving United, Antony added: "I needed to play more.
"I needed to be happy. I wasn't happy there, I wasn't in the right frame of mind... I'm still very grateful to Manchester for everything I've experienced: it's an incredible club. I'll always be grateful for everything."