Retro Antony Shirt – Brazilian Flair Across Europe

Antony's story begins at São Paulo FC, the storied Brazilian club where he came through the academy and broke into senior football as a teenager. His performances in the Brasileirão caught the eye of scouts across Europe, and in 2020 Ajax came calling. The move to Amsterdam proved transformative. Under Erik ten Hag, Ajax were playing some of the most exhilarating attacking football in Europe, and Antony was the jewel in their attacking crown. In the 2020-21 Eredivisie season, Ajax claimed the title with a swaggering brand of football, and Antony was central to it — pacy, direct, and utterly unpredictable. He contributed goals and assists with remarkable consistency, and his performances earned him a place in Brazil's national setup.

The 2021-22 season brought another Eredivisie title and a deeper run in European competition. Antony's stock rose enormously, and speculation about a move to a top-five European league intensified. That move came in the summer of 2022 when Manchester United, reunited with coach Erik ten Hag, paid Ajax a reported £85 million — one of the largest fees ever paid for a Brazilian player. The weight of expectation was enormous.

At Old Trafford, the story became more complicated. Antony showed flashes of brilliance — a debut goal against Arsenal, moments of individual genius — but consistency proved elusive. United struggled as a collective, and Antony was caught in the storm. Injuries, form dips, and off-field controversy (serious allegations emerged in 2023 that cast a shadow over his career) made for a turbulent period. By the 2024-25 season he had moved on loan to Real Betis in Spain, where the sunnier footballing culture and Manuel Pellegrini's patient approach offered a chance at redemption and rediscovery of the joy that once defined his game.

Antony's career has been shaped by a remarkable cast of characters. At Ajax, his partnership with Dusan Tadic, the Serbian captain and creative fulcrum, was crucial — Tadic's intelligence and vision gave Antony the freedom to express himself on the flank. Davy Klaassen and Ryan Gravenberch provided energy in midfield, while Sebastien Haller led the line with devastating effect. The manager Erik ten Hag deserves enormous credit: he built a system that maximised Antony's strengths and trusted the Brazilian unconditionally.

At Manchester United, Antony found himself alongside Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, and later Rasmus Højlund — a forward line of genuine quality that nevertheless never quite clicked as a cohesive unit. Fernandes, as the creative engine, was perhaps the teammate best suited to unlocking Antony's potential. Among rivals, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah represented the gold standard for a wide forward in the Premier League — the comparison was inevitably drawn and was not always flattering for Antony. At Real Betis, the experience of playing alongside seasoned La Liga professionals offered a different kind of education entirely.

The shirts Antony wore across his career each tell a distinct chapter of his story. The Ajax away shirt of the 2021-22 season — a striking dark design with bold Adidas detailing — is arguably the most sought-after retro Antony shirt among collectors. It represents Ajax at their peak: free-flowing, fearless, and packed with talent. The classic red-and-white Ajax home shirt from the same era, with Antony's number 21 on the back, is equally iconic.

The Manchester United red shirt bearing his name is perhaps the most recognisable retro Antony shirt in circulation. The 2022-23 Adidas home shirt, in traditional United red with the iconic crest, captures the hope and promise of his arrival at Old Trafford — a moment of genuine excitement before the narrative grew complicated. The away shirts from that period, in particular the dark green third shirt, are distinctive collector's items.

For those drawn to his Brazilian roots, any São Paulo FC shirt associated with his youth career carries nostalgic appeal. The Real Betis green-and-white vertically striped home shirt marks his Seville chapter, a reinvention story still being written. Each shirt represents a different Antony — the prodigy, the superstar, the enigma, the renaissance man.