Almost ten years ago, a young Dutch forward – and future Manchester United man – announced himself on the world’s biggest stage.
It was in Group B of the 2014 Brazilian World Cup that Memphis Depay starred as a 20-year-old, scoring and assisting against Australia to overturn his nation's one-goal deficit.
From that point, the attacker didn’t look back, and during his final season at PSV Eindhoven, he scored 28 goals and registered eight assists in 40 matches.
These elite numbers are what made United secure Depay’s signature for £25m in 2015, where he reunited with former Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal. At the time, he was an “outrageous” talent, as per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.
Depay’s record at Man United
Depay’s arrival at Man United made him one of the most talked-about prospects in world football, with all eyes eagerly watching him to see how he would light up the Premier League.
The pressure for him to succeed at such a young age was already on before he kicked a ball, and on his second start at Old Trafford in the Champions League tie against Club Brugge, Depay netted twice and assisted in a 3-1 victory.
On the back of that performance, Netherlands and Bayern Munich legend Arjen Robben said:
“He can become one of the top players in the world at Manchester United. He is already at such a high level, but playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world he will only get even better.”
However, Depay never reached the heights he once promised and struggled to adapt to the Premier League, netting just twice in 29 appearances during his debut campaign, with a young Marcus Rashford ultimately eclipsing him that season as the new poster boy at the Theatre of Dreams.
The former PSV ace ultimately played 53 games for the Red Devils, with a meagre record of seven goals and six assists across all competitions.
Depay’s career after Man United
Olympique Lyon handed Depay a route out of United at the start of 2017, when he made the permanent move to France for £21m.
During this spell, Depay rediscovered his form and cemented himself as one of the most reliable goalscorers and creators in Europe, with an extremely impressive record of 76 goals and 55 assists in 178 matches.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Over the years, the 5 foot 10 attacker developed into a centre forward, moving away from the left-wing role he had become accustomed to as a youngster.
When Depay’s contract expired at Lyon in 2021, the Netherlands whizz decided to take on a new challenge, with a move to Barcelona shortly following that decision. His time with the Catalan giants was hindered by injuries, which saw him miss 30 games.
PSV
124
50
29
Man United
53
7
6
Lyon
178
76
55
Barcelona
42
14
2
Atletico Madrid
29
11
2
As you can see by the table above, the 30-year-old still had a respectable output at Barca, but he moved to Atletico Madrid around this time last year, where he is still playing, having enjoyed a fruitful season with Diego Simeone's men.
In fact, the mercurial talent is even outscoring his former teammate, Rashford, having bagged seven goals in all competitions in 2023/24 for the La Liga side, with the Englishman, by contrast, having scored just five goals under Erik ten Hag's watch.
Moving from Manchester to Lyon was the best decision Depay made during his career, which turned out to be successful despite not reaching the potential he showed in his early years.
That said, his goals and assists could have certainly been used at United since his departure, and you have to think of what he could have gone on to become at the Red Devils if he never left in 2017.
