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Michail Antoni appeared at Old Trafford after watching just one game there as a kid growing up dmitting: “I saw Ronaldo but I wasn’t big on watching as a kid.
“West Ham was around the corner so I went a lot of their games, but I always wanted to see a game here (Manchester United).
To make his big appearance on the ground after a difficult start at Upton Park is the stuff dreams are made of and he admitted: “It’s definitely been frustrating. For the past four or five years I’ve played as long as I have been fit. But I have moved up a level and I am now playing with the big boys so your expectations have to readjust to that a little bit.”
Coming on after injury hit Victor Moses, he let nobody down with some testing runs down the wing as well as some excellent defending which included a well-timed last-ditch tackle in the West Ham penalty area.
He told London24.com: “I think defensively I did quite well. Going forward my legs weren’t quite what they can be, I think that’s down to match sharpness. I am naturally quite fit, but the more minutes I get, the better I’ll be.
“Overall, I’m quite happy with my performance because I helped the boys out and hopefully I can start next week and carry on. I believe in my ability and when I get the opportunity I’ll take it. Here, I’ve come on and done well against Manchester United, now things are only getting better. ”
“If Victor Moses had gone on and scored that chance I think we would have gone on to win the game, but it was one of those things and Man United had chances of their own and in the last 20 minutes it could have gone either way.”
He accepts everything is now in Slaven Bilic’s hands as far as he is concerned and said: “Obviously it depends on what the manager things will work on the day. If he decides to give me that opportunity then great, if he doesn’t I’ll still work hard and be patient.
“I’ve still got four years on my contact, but hopefully he decides to give it to me sooner rather than later.”