About the Young Dutchman
Depay is a swift forward with great striking ability. He is a left winger by trade, but has occasionally played right wing or striker. The press has hailed him as a striker, most probably because of his 28 goals last season, but he plays left wing.
Memphis was given his international debut by current United manager, Louis Van Gaal, and was a part of his Netherlands squad that came 3rd in last years World Cup.
He’s made 124 appearances for Eredivise side PSV Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, and he’s only 21 years old. The Dutch league continually produces top class players that shine in the division. This has a lot to do with the league not being host to many great players, as the young talented players get picked up by Elite European teams. So when a top prospect comes along, they get plenty of first team football and even European competition games under their belt. This gives young players a lot of experience.
Memphis is no different. He’s excelled at PSV, especially last season where he was a huge influence to leading his team to winning the league by 17 points over Ajax.
The Big Step Up
The Premier League however is a much different game to that of the Eredivise. As Van Gaal has stated; there’s always pressure on the ball and is much more physically demanding. Being so young, Depay has time to improve his game and get more physical in order to cope with the demands of playing in the Prem.
This isn’t to mean that he won’t make an immediate impact. With an eye for goal, great dribbling ability and blistering pace he’ll prove to be a nuisance to defences as soon as he steps on the pitch. He will however need time to become accustomed to the culture of top flight English football.
What to Expect in Depay’s Debut Season
Where Van Gaal will use Memphis is hard to tell as, during the world cup, he was subbed on to play left wing and striker. It’ll most probably depend on where the squad rotation leaves a place open, and if United bring in a solid striker over the summer.
Depay is a great buy, a solid prospect with tonnes of potential but he may not have an immediate impact, he needs to be brought in carefully. Not to say that he won’t help the team to success this year. He should prove to a great player in the seasons to come.
