Manchester United

Pierre van Hooijdonk backs Memphis Depay to shine at Manchester United

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 25 June 2015

Pierre van Hooijdonk claims that Manchester United's first summer signing Memphis Depay can "only become better" with time following his £25m switch from PSV Eindhoven.

Former Netherlands international Pierre van Hooijdonk has backed compatriot Memphis Depay to continue improving his all-round game at Manchester United.

The 21-year-old sealed a £25m switch to Old Trafford earlier this month, bringing a reputation as someone who can break down the toughest of defences with his tricky wing play.

Ronald Koeman recently urged caution, suggesting that Depay may struggle to adapt to the demands of English football, but Van Hooijdonk disagrees with these sentiments and expects the Dutchman to shine.

"Depay's good and he can only become better," he told ESPN. "He will do well in England but like the other young players you need to give him a bit of time. He's a guy that can make something happen, he's capable of scoring goals and he strikes the ball very well with both the inside of his foot and also the top.

"He can score from distance and close range and from what I saw of United last season he's already good enough to play for them. He's not like Ryan Giggs was. He's right footed and comes inside opponents. He's not going to create as many goals as Giggs did, but he's going to score more.

"He's very strong physically and mentally. He's had a few problems [with his development] but that's part of the game. You don't learn to cycle without falling off, but you make sure that you must not break your leg."

Depay, who played under Louis van Gaal for the Netherlands national side at last year's World Cup, scored 25 goals in all competitions for PSV Eindhoven last season.