The Hammers travel to Old Trafford next week but, with Rio on the injured list and Anton still learning his trade, that eagerly anticipated clash is still some way off.
"I was disappointed Rio was injured when Manchester United came down recently," he says.
"It would have been good if we were both in the squad against each other, but it obviously wasn't meant to be.
"Hopefully that will happen next year, but whenever it does happen it will be a good feeling for my mum and dad, and my family - and hopefully I would come out on top.
"It will be a personal battle and I will be looking to win it - and maybe it will be next season."
Anton, who is currently making steady progress in the reserves, adds: "You play against good players in the reserves and that is only going to make me play better; the next thing is to play in the first team."
He has been included in some first team squads this season - he travelled to Aston Villa, for instance - and he says: "It has been a buzz for me and hopefully I can push on and get on the bench."
He is confident the senior squad can pull the club off the bottom and he adds: "I think we have got too much of a good squad to even think about us going down. We have to start winning a couple of games and from then on push from there.
"We have got the squad of players to do things, with lots of internationals here and, as we did it last year, we can do it this year.
"The spirit is still good thanks to the gaffer and the boys are still working hard in training, so hopefully the results will come."
Anton is delighted to see that Glen Johnson, midway through a three month loan spell at Millwall, is doing so well and he says: "I am very pleased for him. I used to play against him when we were younger and we joined West Ham at similar times.
"He is playing well at Millwall, and when I went to watch him a couple of weeks ago it was obvious the fans like him.
"It is just a matter of time until he comes back and does well in the first team - but it is up to the gaffer when he thinks he is ready."
Is it a route Anton would like to follow?
"I am just going to carry on," he says, "and if the gaffer tells me he wants me to go on loan that is what I will do, but other than that all I can do is keep playing my football and hopefully that type of thing will happen."
Anton captained the youth team to victory over Oadby Town on Tuesday night at Upton Park in the FA Youth Cup, and is hoping to go one better than Rio, who led the youngsters to a final defeat against Liverpool in 1996.
"I thought we had the quality to beat them, it was just a matter of going there and doing the job - which we did professionally," says Anton, looking back on the game.
"We can beat anyone, I think, if we finish our chances, and Greg Pearson's goal was unbelievable.
"It was a nice feeling to lead the boys out but everyone was a captain out there and that is how we have got to play."
In the absence of Elliot Ward, Anton partnered Tommy Laws at the back, and he adds: "Tommy did well. He is learning as I am, but obviously it was a blow to lose Elliot Ward because me and him have a good partnership.
"But Tommy has done very well and is good to play with."
So - the start of a winning streak at Upton Park?
"It is a pity it wasn't the first team last night - but hopefully they will start doing that now."