Manchester United travel to Rotterdam to face Feyenoord in the Europa League this week and one man looking to make a big impression will be Memphis Depay who’s career with the Premier League side has stalled.
- By Michael Bell
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On Saturday afternoon, the Manchester derby took place at Old Trafford, an event Memphis Depay was expected to be a key figure in when he signed for United fifteen months ago, but the winger only made the news this weekend after the Daily Express pictured him buying a takeaway on Friday night. Memphis, who has only featured in a minute of the Premier League this season, was absent from Jose Mourinho’s squad for the third game running, capping a frustrating start to the season which also saw the 22-year-old miss the community shield win and dropped by Netherlands. Memphis is still eligible to play for the Dutch U21’s but he was even overlooked by Fred Grim for their crucial European Championship qualifier with Belarus, which was drawn 2-2.
This wasn’t the start under Mourinho that Memphis was looking for with the winger aiming to put his disappointing first campaign in England, which saw him start only 16 league games and earn widespread criticism for his poor performances and lifestyle away from the pitch, behind him and prove he is worth the £25 million price tag Manchester United paid PSV.
However, there is hope with Mourinho already confirming that there will be rotation in his squad for the Europa League and Carling Cup ties and Memphis will be eager to be handed his first start of the campaign when Manchester United meet Feyenoord on Thursday.
A return to Rotterdam, a city where Memphis lived and made a name for himself in the Sparta academy before joining PSV, may be the perfect place for the attacker to impress Mourinho, gain confidence and stake a claim to face Watford in the Premier League this weekend. Memphis already has a good record against Feyenoord, having scored in both games against the club during his final Eredivisie campaign with PSV.
Interestingly the game on Thursday will be exactly a year to the day that Memphis last returned to the Netherlands with Manchester United and put in one of his better performances for the club, scoring in the 2-1 defeat at his former club PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. Memphis failed to use that game as a catalyst but he will be determined to prove the doubters wrong if given the nod by Mourinho at De Kuip.
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