Memphis Depay: Bling-Bling | OneFootball

Memphis Depay was born in the tiny South Holland village of Moordrecht to a Ghanaian father and a Dutch mother. His father walked out on the family when he was four, prompting him to drop the familiar name “Depay” and be know mononymously as “Memphis.”

Early Years

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Scouts from Sparta Rotterdam were impressed with Memphis as early as eight years old. Sparta’s chairman Ton Redegeld was quoted: “Memphis was as a young player already complete. Two-footed and strong. If we won 7-0, he scored five times and would assist two times.” Before he turned 12, Memphis caught the eye of clubs like Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord. Although his grandfather was an Ajax fan, he advised Memphis to move to PSV.

Although he had appeared in a number of fixtures for the club as a youth player, Memphis signed his first professional contract with PSV in June 2012. He appeared only intermittently, mostly coming on as a substitute in the waning minutes of play, but he still scored seven times in 28 appearances. In 2013 his career took off. He scored his first UEFA competition goal against Zulte Waregem in a 2-0 victory, and another 13 goals throughout the season.

After featuring in a successful 2014 World Cup in which the Netherlands finished runners-up, rumors linked Memphis to a number of clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham. He chose to stay at PSV, and ended the 2014-15 season as the Eredivisie’s top scorer with 22 goals.

Man U & Beyond

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Manchester United confirmed Memphis’ signing in June 2015 for a fee of around £25M (~$35M). It was not a good fit. Memphis reportedly complained about the United match schedule, claiming there were too many games and not enough recovery time. Former United player and assistant manager Ryan Giggs countered by saying Memphis’ flashy lifestyle was responsible for his poor form. In 50 matches for the Red Devils Memphis only recorded 7 goals and 7 assists.

Memphis made a mid-season move to Lyon in January 2017 on a transfer fee under $17M. He was much happier in Ligue 1, and this was reflected by an uptick in his form. Despite a torn ACL sustained in December 2019 that kept him off the pitch for over six months, he was a critical part of the Lyon squad with 108 contributions (63 goals; 45 assists) in 139 matches over 4.5 years.

After departing Lyon in July 2021 Memphis joined Barcelona, where he only produced modest numbers (14 goals in 42 games). He then left Camp Nou for Atlético Madrid and performed similarly (13 goals in 40 games). Released in July 2024, he went without a club contract until joining Corinthians in the Brazilian league last September.

With Oranje

Memphis was selected from an early age to wear the orange kit of the Netherlands. He has played for every age group, and won the 2011 European Championship with the U-17 team. He earned his first senior cap subbing into a match with Turkey in October 2013. His first goal came in the 2014 World Cup against Australia. It was the game winner and he became the youngest Dutch player to score in a World Cup (20 yrs 4 mos.). He currently has 98 caps, 46 goals and 32 assists. Expect him to hit the century mark sometime in 2025.

Character

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – DECEMBER 3: Memphis Depay of Corinthians celebrates after scoring the team´s first goal during the Brasileirao 2024 match between Corinthians and Bahia at Neo Quimica Arena on December 3, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Ricardo Moreira/Getty Images)

PSV coaches had remarked that despite his prodigious talent Memphis was a “VERY ANGRY” player. Dutch manager Ronald Koeman respected Memphis’ skill but stated that he had to work on his personal development. There is no doubt that Memphis is polarizing, and you either love him or hate him. Yes, he is arrogant and cocky, but a player who has the skills to turn a game around.

Memphis also has a hip-hop career (if you can call it that). Much of his music can be found on You Tube, such as collaborations with musicians Winne and Nana Fofie, and producer Rass King for his Ghana-inspired single.