"It gives me a little bit more time" - Manchester United star comments after teammate Antony is accused of wasteful showboating

Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot has opened up on accusations of showboating on his teammate Antony. The Brazil international made headlines for the wrong reasons as the Red Devils recorded a comfortable 3-0 win against Sheriff Tiraspol.

The summer signing from Ajax did his customary double pirouette on the ball at the 42nd-minute mark. The winger then overhit his pass out of play, resulting in criticism from pundits, including former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes.

He was eventually replaced at half-time by Erik ten Hag, although the Dutchman insisted that it was a tactical change.

Manchester United right-back Dalot has defended his teammate amid criticism, insisting it is part of the Brazilian's game.

One of Dalot's more important mentioned facts that he gets time to run into spaces when Antony is doing tricks on the ball.

As quoted by The Mirror, Dalot said:

"He wants to entertain a little bit, it's part of the way he plays. For me, it gives me a little bit more time when he has the ball for me to try to open space with runs.

"We are happy to have Antony with us, he's a fantastic player and I'm sure that his technique and dribbling will help us."

Dalot has also claimed that the former Ajax star should not be criticized too much for the incident. He added:

"There's always going to talk after a mistake… he missed the pass, but if it went through, Casemiro was in a good position to receive the ball and to get an assist or score a goal.

"I think it's normal after he missed the pass, but I don't think we should focus too much on what he did. That's just part of his game and we're lucky to have a player like him."

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Diogo Dalot is a player in demand having impressed for Manchester United

Diogo Dalot is a wanted man across Europe right now, having reportedly emerged as a target for Spanish and European champions Real Madrid.

The full-back has already entered the final year of his deal at Manchester United, but the Red Devils have the option of triggering a one-year extension.

The report also claims that FC Barcelona are keen on the Portuguese. Dalot has been almost ever-present in Erik ten Hag's starting lineup at Manchester United this campaign and has impressed at either end of the pitch.

The 23-year-old has scored one goal and provided two assists in 16 games across all competitions this campaign.