Tyrell Malacia can laugh about the time he gave new Manchester United team-mate Antony a kicking - and got punched in the face for his trouble.
It was, after all, Malacia’s uncompromising performances for Feyenoord in Dutch clasicos against Ajax that caught Erik ten Hag’s eye and prompted him to make him his first signing after swapping the Amsterdam Arena for Old Trafford in the summer.
And it’s why the £13million left-back will be one of the first names on his team-sheet when United face bitter rivals Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday. “I know I am not the tallest player in football, but people forget I am from Zuid,” said 5ft 7ins Malacia, name-checking the tough streets in southern Rotterdam that have given him his edge.
“In Zuid, we take care of our own business and fight our own battles. Ten Hag recognised that. When it was clear that Antony’s transfer to United was on and he was expected to come into the squad, the gaffer spoke to me about him.
"It was just before Antony’s first training session at United. He said ‘please go easy on him, no more rough stuff! On the streets of Zuid, I played many football games that ended in fights. But that was the way it was. Playing on the streets of Rotterdam, at the De Kuip Stadium or Old Trafford, I just love a battle.”
Antony escaped with a yellow card for responding to the rough stuff dished out to him by Malacia in the Dutch Clasico.
He has been using the services of personal trainer Jordan Kroon to beef himself up for the physical demands of the Premier League. And he feels the extra sessions are helping him to punch above his weight and prove the doubters wrong who felt his time at Old Trafford would be spent on the bench. He faces his biggest test yet in Sunday's Manchester derby.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Where will Man Utd finish this season? Let us know in the comments section
Malacia said: “Jordan still sends me schedules every week and I follow them all. If I want to be a winner in the Premier League, that’s what I have to do. In the first few months at United I have discovered that there is not a single game here, where you can play at just 60 percent of your potential. That was possible in Holland in some games. Not here.
"In England, I play two finals every week. That’s the way I approach it compared to the way I used to play before. This really is another level - but this is all I ever wanted. I was ready for it.”
Malacia pulled out of a deal to join French club Lyon at the 11th hour when United made their play for him. He added: “I have not spoken to Lyon since.
"The transfer went the way I wanted. I am at United, that is all that matters. I always dreamed of the Premier League, so when Manchester came in with an offer, I knew I wanted to join. A lot of people thought I would end up on the bench because United had an England international in Luke Shaw and, at the time, a Brazilian international in Alex Telles.
“I also knew that people would judge me because I was the cheapest player this summer. But when you perform and do the business on the pitch, it shuts them all up. I knew deep down I could get into the team. I believed in my own ability because I know how to fight for my future.
"I have never had it easy in my life. I have had to overcome some big setbacks and deal with disappointments.”
