Manchester United's marquee summer signing Antony has enjoyed a stellar start, but former side Ajax will not be missing the Brazilian, according to Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand.
The 22-year-old winger netted a delightful debut goal against long-term rivals Arsenal, immediately easing fears that his £86million price-tag would weight too heavy on him. With that in mind, one would assume the absence of a player so talented would leave quite the void for the selling club, but not in this case claims Ferdinand.
Ajax touched down on English soil earlier this week to take on Liverpool at Anfield in match-day two of the Champions League group stage. The Dutch champions put up quite the fight, but in the end, Jurgen Klopp's side proved just too strong for them with a last-gasp Joel Matip goal sealing a 2-1 win for the hosts.
Antony was a much-loved figure in Amsterdam and arguably the Dutch champion's most important player, but if their performance at Anfield was anything to go by Ajax will be just fine without their former Brazilian winger.
Their remarkable equaliser came from the left-boot of Mohammed Kudus, a player that has been earmarked as someone who could succeed Antony in that role on the right-flank.
Ferdinand certainly thinks so, as he explained to BT Sport after the game. "They've got him [Kudus] but they've recruited Bergwijn as well who’s had a great start to the season. Ridiculous finish, phenomenal finish (vs Rangers).
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"Edwin's [Van der Sar - Ajax's CEO] probably sitting there going Antony who? Right now. Antony is a brilliant player but when you're having that output immediately, there's no better way to start."
Van der Sar himself has recently discussed Antony's switch to Old Trafford, admitting that the Brazilian international will be missed when Ajax find themselves on the biggest stages.
"It's nice for a manager when we explained to him what types of players were leaving and which players we thought were staying. To lose Antony to Manchester United was a hard blow for the manager, and technical people, we wish him all the best but we will miss him on nights like tonight."
Ferdinand also went on to wax lyrical about Van der Sar as well, claiming that his success as part of Ajax's boardroom does not surprise him given what he witnessed during their shared time at Old Trafford as players.
"He was always someone we considered switched on in the changing room, very meticulous in his approach to the game," Ferdinand explained.
"It's no surprise he went into the role he has gone into. What he's done this summer is nothing short of magnificent. Good luck to him, I'm sure he’ll go on to achieve great things not only at Ajax but beyond I'm sure."
