Former Manchester United winger Memphis Depay holds no grudge against Jose Mourinho: 'It wasn't all that easy... but we didn't have a bad relationship'

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Former Manchester United winger Memphis Depay insists he holds no grudge against Jose Mourinho following his move to Lyon. 

Depay made just one start under the Portuguese after falling out of favour at Old Trafford and was sold to Lyon for £21.6million less than two years after his arrival from PSV.

Mourinho was keen to remain on good terms with Depay and described the Holland international as 'potentially a very good player'.

Memphis Depay insists he holds no grudge against Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho

Depay made just one start under the Portuguese before leaving the club to join Lyon

Depay reciprocated the good will by hailing Mourinho as a 'great coach and a great person', despite his lack of game time under the former Chelsea boss.

'His words were nice,' Depay told OL TV.

'In Manchester, I always worked as I had to. For me personally, it wasn't all that easy, I needed to play. But we didn't have a bad relationship.

Manchester United inserted a buy-back clause into the deal to sell Depay to the French club

'He's a great coach and a great person. Now we'll see here how I play. In any case, I think he has said good things about me.'

Although Depay struggled to produce his best form during his first spell in England, Mourinho has refused to rule out a return for the Dutchman in the future.

United inserted a £35million buy-back clause into the Lyon agreement, which could see Depay return to the Premier League if he impresses in France. 

'He didn't succeed in this 18 months, I would say, but he is very young so I think it is important for the club to keep control of this talent,' Mourinho said. 

Mourinho has refused to rule out a return for the Holland international in the future

'We all wish that he plays very, very well at Olympique Lyon, and why not to come back because everyone here likes him.'

Manchester United next face Hull City in an EFL Cup semi-final second-leg at the KCOM Stadium on Thursday.

Mourinho's side hold a 2-0 lead from the first-leg at Old Trafford, thanks to goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini.