Antony is already Man Utd dressing room’s top JOKER as £85m man endears himself to new team-mates with banter

BRAZILIAN star Antony has got the beat going in the Manchester United dressing room – after taking over the role as No 1 joker.

The new £85m man – who scored on his debut last Sunday in a thrilling 3-1 victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal – has already endeared himself to his new team-mates with his scintillating performances.

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But the former Ajax star has also made a splash at United with his banter.

A source said: “The players all absolutely love Antony. He’s like a Tasmanian devil. When he’s training and playing he’s 100 per cent on it.

“And then when it’s time to relax he’s one of the lads and loves a laugh and a joke.

“He knows Fred from the Brazil national team so he’s been playing a couple of pranks on him with the lads have enjoyed.”

The source added that Argentinian stopper Lisandro Martinez is also already a firm favourite with the Old Trafford dressing room following his £56m move from Ajax.

The source said: “Martinez is a beast. He trains exactly how he plays He tackles and fights and does whatever it takes to win.

“He and Antony have slotted into the group really well because they already know what ten Hag expects because he managed them at Ajax.

“They have both been accepted quickly by the dressing room and have given the team a lot of energy.

“The squad hasn’t been this united for years.”

Antony yesterday revealed he is inspired by wantaway Cristiano Ronaldo.

He said: “Words can’t describe Cristiano, the best in the world. In just a few days, I’ve learnt a lot from him.

“He has an extraordinary mind and, whenever I talk to him, I take a lot from it.”

Antony has been included in his country’s squad along with another new arrival in Casemiro and Fred for this month’s friendlies with Ghana and Tunisia.

The 22-year-old signed from Ajax has made himself an instant hit with the fans with a bit of Ronaldo-like showmanship including step-overs.

He says: “I’ve always done this, not just here but for all the teams I’ve played for – it’s one of my characteristics.

“I’ve been doing it ever since I was a child. Entertaining is something I’ve always liked and I’ll continue doing it.”