Memphis Depay opens up on time at Manchester United

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 16 December 2018

Memphis Depay reveals that he told Jose Mourinho he would go on to become one of the best players in the world upon being sold by Manchester United in January 2017.

Lyon forward Memphis Depay has conceded that he has no-one but himself to blame for his underwhelming spell at Manchester United.

The Netherlands international lasted just 18 months at Old Trafford after failing to live up to the fanfare that surrounded his £25m move from PSV Eindhoven in 2015.

Depay was signed by Louis van Gaal and sold by Jose Mourinho, going on to regain his best form during his two years in Ligue 1 with Lyon.

Speaking to The Times, the 24-year-old admits that he never truly saw eye to eye with Van Gaal, but he does not want to point the finger at anyone else for his failed stint in English football.

"We didn't fall out, it was just a misconnection with each other," he said. "As a team we didn't play great football and some things I don't understand - if you have talented young players, Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw and the others, they need freedom.

"When I left, I said to Mourinho 'you will see me at the top. He said: 'OK, I hope that and I hope we will buy you back one day.' I never had a bad relationship with him.

"If you don't perform well some people want you to hide and be in your cave and I'm so not that type of person. If I look back, it was just me. I wanted to succeed so bad. I wanted to train so hard.

"I don't think it was the English media, because the media don't determine how I play in the game. Sometimes my opportunities weren't enough but I didn't deliver what was expected, never mind what people expect, what I expect from myself. And Manchester is a great club. I don't feel they treated me wrong."

Depay has scored 29 goals and set up 27 more in the French top flight since joining Lyon in January 2017.