Memphis Depay – A Manchester United misfit to Lyon’s influential figure
After a superb 2014 World Cup campaign and Eredivisie season, Memphis Depay was signed by Manchester United for £31m. Much was expected from him when he moved to Old Trafford in 2015 but he came under the limelight for the wrong reasons.
In his first season with United, he contributed with just 7 goals in 44 games and Louis van Gaal was sacked by the end of the 2015/16 campaign. Depay was deemed surplus to the team when Jose Mourinho took over and was pushed to the bench.
He could not make quite the impression after he was handed several chances. He featured in just 4 league games under the Portuguese and was eventually sent on loan to Lyon, which eventually became a permanent transfer worth an initial £16m.
However, the move came as a blessing for the Netherlands international as it didn’t take long for him to regain the spark that saw him get recognised in the first place, starting with an unbelievable long-range goal against Toulouse. He was given more freedom to use his strength and as a result, he began to thrive.
He ended the 2016/17 campaign with 5 goals and 8 assists in just 17 games. Then-Lyon manager moved him from left wing to the centre towards the end of that season and he got set there following Mariano Diaz’s return to Real Madrid.
The following season, he banged in 19 goals, which saw him finish just below Edinson Cavani and Florian Thauvin in the goalscoring charts. He also provided 13 assists, seeing him level with PSG star Neymar as the league’s top assist provider in 2017/18. He was also instrumental in the club’s run to the round of 16 in the Europa League that season.
The 26-year-old continued his brilliance in 2018/19 as well and helped his side qualify for the Champions League. He went on to score 5 goals in as many games in the competition. And this season too, Depay has proved his worth with 9 league goals before picking up a major injury.
He has come a long way since his Manchester United days and has gone on to become one of the most improved players in the past few years. He also helped his national team reach the inaugural UEFA Nations League and still remains on top of his game.
