With his standout performance in a Manchester United shirt coming in the first leg against Club Brugge in the Red Devils’ Champions League qualifier, United fans know there is a lot more to come from Memphis Depay.
Given the fact United went on to land the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and most recently Anthony Martial this summer, some Red Devils fans almost forgot that the club got a deal done to sign Depay even as last season was reaching it’s final conclusion.
An incredibly talented footballer, Depay already has an Eredivisie title and World Cup appearances under his belt despite just being 21-years-old and all going well, he’ll be giving Manchester United his best years over the course of the next few seasons.
Taking the legendary number seven shirt at Old Trafford of course, Depay will have to succeed where Angel Di Maria failed while showing the kind of flair and trickery that made Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo such icons at the club.
With Manchester United tipped by many to simply be making up the top four again this season given the current state of transition they appear to be in, the likes of Memphis will need to weight in with their fair share of goals in order to prove that Louis van Gaal’s side can go one better while making a fist of the title while getting to the latter stages in the cup competitions.
But with the season still only a few weeks old, we’re quizzing our resident Red Devils fans on whether they knew these five facts about their new Dutch international superstar.
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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 things you didn’t know about Manchester United ace Memphis Depay.
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He is of Ghanaian heritage
Now a Dutch international of 18 senior caps for the Oranje of course, Memphis Depay could’ve ended up playing his international football for Ghana, the country of his father.
With Depay’s parents splitting up when the player was just four-years-old, Depay wears the name ‘Memphis’ on the back of his shirt as opposed to Depay given the fact his relationship with his father broke down when he was young.
Naturally choosing to represent the country of both his and his mother’s birth thereafter, Depay is a firm fixture in the Netherlands’ national squad at present although they’re making a meal out of trying to reach Euro 2016 next summer at present.
Prior to Depay’s arrival in England this summer, we’ve seen Dutch-Ghanaian heritage players make it in the Premier League in the past in the case of former Coventry City, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng.
He’s the youngest ever Dutch goalscorer at a World Cup
For those not well versed in the goings on of the Dutch Eredivisie, most got their first glimpse of Memphis Depay’s talents as last summer’s World Cup where he was shortlisted alongside Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane as the Hyundai Young Player of the Tournament.
With Pogba winning that particular accolade, this took nothing away from Depay’s performances with the then PSV Eindhoven man registering two goals at the tournament despite his slender years.
In scoring his first goal at the tournament against Australia, Memphis became the Netherlands’ youngest ever goalscorer at a World Cup finals aged just 20.
He uses a life coach to temper his anger issues
Having been through a lot in his personal life, it is now public knowledge that Memphis uses a life coach to help assist his sometimes temperamental attitude.
Previously described as a “very angry” customer by a coach during his time at PSV Eindhoven, Depay might not have made it had it not been for his unavoidable skill and flair on the pitch.
In his early days the Philips Stadion, opinion leaders such as former player Rene van der Gijp once claimed: “From kickoff, he runs everywhere except in his own position! He gets in everyone else’s way. I would tell him his first responsibility is to his own position. The system you play needs order.”
“There is no one at PSV who tells him: do things normally. Actually PSV lack someone like Rinus Michels (former Holland coach), who would give him a clip around the ear so he remembers where he is.”
Having managed to curb his individualism in time to help deliver the Eredivisie title for PSV Eindhoven last season, it appears Depay is now firmly on an upward curve in his career.
He’s sought the advice of a United legend in the past
Manchester United fans will be delighted to hear that in the past, Memphis Depay sought the footballing advice of a true Red Devils legend in Ruud van Nistelrooy.
van Nistelrooy, a veteran of 95 Premier League goals for the Red Devils used to be part of the coaching staff with the Netherlands and during this period, Memphis used to quiz Ruud about how to become more of a clinical finisher.
Memphis previously claimed about his consultations with van Nistelrooy: “Yes, we talk, we look at what can be improved. In my finishing for example or my running. Sitting and talking with Ruud motivates me about football.”
Having gone on to win the Golden Boot in the Eredivisie last season with 22 strikes, it appears Ruud’s advice had the desired effect and United fans will be hoping Memphis can get close to that figure again this season, albeit in more of a competitive division.
His first club wasn’t PSV Eindhoven
Having been on the books of PSV Eindhoven since he was just 12-years-old, the Dutch giants weren’t actually the first club that Memphis was associated with.
Born in the South Holland town of Moordrecht, Memphis’ talents were naturally first picked up by the town’s club VV Moordrecht but even before he was scouted by PSV, Sparta Rotterdam can also take some credit for in part awarding Memphis some of his early footballing education between the years of 2003 and 2006.
Having burst onto the scene at the Philips Stadion of course, Depay was eventually sold to Manchester United this summer for a fee reaching up to £31 million and with Louis van Gaal in charge whom Memphis knows well, it’s hard to think of any other environment which would help foster his development in England so quickly.
