Memphis Depay reckons he would have been a star at Manchester United… if Jose Mourinho had given him a proper chance
MEMPHIS DEPAY reckons he would have been a star at Manchester United... if Jose Mourinho had given him a chance.
The Dutch winger, 25, flopped at Old Trafford during his 18 months at the club, failing to even come close to his scintillating PSV Eindhoven form.
In 33 Premier League appearances under Louis van Gaal and Mourinho, Depay scored just twice as he struggled to live up to the pace of the English top flight.
However, he has hit out at Mourinho, blaming him for his career stalling, despite a revival of confidence - after making just four Prem appearances under the Special One.
Depay told L'Equipe: "In the first season [under Van Gaal], I didn’t contribute enough.
"But I really believe you need a year to succeed in the Premier League, it’s the fastest league in the world.
"The second, I had my self-belief back, but I didn’t play.
"It’s then that you look at yourself in the mirror and you ask yourself a lot of questions...
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"‘Am I not good enough?’ It was really tough. To stay positive, you have to be very strong mentally.
"That experience made me grow up and is useful to me today."
Depay joined United from PSV in the summer of 2015 for £26million and was immediately handed the No7 shirt.
However he was sold just a year-and-a-half later to Lyon, with United insisting on a bu-back clause should they want to give the Dutchman another crack.
The 31-cap international has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts in France, netting six Ligue 1 goals in 19 games.