How former Liverpool hero helped Antony to settle as Man United loanee 'surprises everyone'

Whilst mingling with a Liverpool hero of yesteryear, Antony has 'surprised everyone' with how fast he is adapting to life at Real Betis on loan from Manchester United.

As Ruben Amorim hopes to seal further January business before the window closes on Monday, as of now his only confirmed deal is Antony's short-term loan to La Liga outfit Betis. The Brazilian who had struggled long before the new coach arrived last November, now finds himself in Spain to escape the pressures of his £81.3m transfer fee.

"His signing is very important. He is a player of great quality, as he has shown throughout his career. Manchester United bought him for a significant amount, but for various reasons he was unable to succeed and he is coming here with all the hope and demands of doing so. He could be a very important player for us," said his new manager, Manuel Pellegrini, on Friday.

This weekend Betis host Athletic Club. As a new recruit Antony will have been forced to carve his own way into the coach's plans, though Marca's detailed coverage of the Man United loanee's first week in new surroundings actually show that he is embracing the challenge and therefore in line to make a speedy debut.

When he arrived, the 24-year-old completed his medical and paperwork, media duties and visited Betis' facilities. Shocked himself with how big they were, the report says he continued to watch his new teammates beat Mallorca in La Liga action on TV with the club's president at their Benito Villamarin Stadium.

He trained alone whilst the other players recovered on Monday, then officially joined team training on Tuesday. Leaders of the dressing room Marc Bartra and 38-year-old goalkeeper Adrian especially made his welcome a warm one, Marca stress.

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