Barcelona and Netherlands forward Memphis Depay has bounced back from a tough spell at Manchester United to firmly establish himself as one of the finest players in Europe.

Memphis Depay is a Dutch professional soccer player who plays as a forward for La Liga side, Barcelona, and the Netherlands national team.

Depay started his career at VV Moordrecht as a youngster and was picked up by Sparta Rotterdam before moving on to PSV Eindhoven. He had his senior breakthrough at PSV, going on to become a star at the club and attracting the attention of major clubs in England. Ultimately, he signed for Manchester United.

Depay's spell at the Red Devils did not quite live up to expectations and he was eventually sold to Olympique Lyon in January 2017. After shining in France for Lyon, Depay attracted attention from none other than Barcelona, who secured his signature in 2021.

Early years with PSV Eindhoven

Depay moved to PSV aged 12 in 2006 and made his first team breakthrough in 2011. He made his official debut in September of that year in a KNVB Cup second round match against VVSB.

His first Eredivisie match was on February 26, 2012 as PSV picked up a crucial 3-2 win over Feyenoord. He scored his first league goal on March 18 in a 5-1 win over Heerenveen after coming on as a substitute for Dries Mertens.

Depay once again came on as a substitute for Mertens as PSV beat Heracles Almelo 3-0 in the final of the KNVB Cup. He then came on off the bench for Luciano Narsingh as PSV beat Ajax 4-2 in the 2012 Johan Cruyff Shield.

Despite reports linking him with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, Depay ultimately signed for Louis van Gaal's Manchester United.

Bittersweet Manchester United run

Manchester United announced that they had agreed a deal to sign Depay subject to a medical on May 7, 2015.

Depay made his Premier League debut on August 8, 2015, with United picking up a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

On August 18 of that same year, Depay scored his first two goals for Manchester United in a 3-1 UEFA Champions League play-off first leg win over Club Brugge at Old Trafford. He also provided an assist for Marouane Fellaini for United's other goal.

However, the honeymoon for Depay at Manchester United soon came to an end. A Sunday People report claimed that United assistant manager Ryan Giggs warned Depay regarding his lifestyle.

The 2015/16 season was a mixed bag altogether for Depay, who made 45 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions, scoring seven goals. United won the FA Cup, beating Crystal Palace 2-1 in the final, but van Gaal was replaced by Jose Mourinho as United manager after the season.

Revitalised at Olympique Lyon

Lyon reportedly attempted to renew Depay's contract, but he refused, instead favouring a move to Spain to represent Barcelona under Dutch manager Ronald Koeman.

"Memphis Depay just wanted a team for himself. It's not a criticism, I had a good relationship with him," Lyon chief Juninho told OLTV.

"There are only four players in the world where you have to do everything for them: Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and Mbappe. If you have one of them, then the team can revolve around them.

Move to Barcelona

Depay became arguably the hottest free agent in Europe in the summer of 2021, and on 19 June he was unveiled as a Barcelona player.

Memphis Depay and Netherlands national team

Despite having a Ghanaian father, Depay represented the Netherlands at under-15 through to under-21 level before going on to make his senior breakthrough.

He started every game for Frank de Boer's team, scoring two goals in four matches before their surprise elimination to the Czech Republic in the round of 16.

Personal life

Depay plays with the name 'Memphis' on the back of his shirt because of his father Dennis' lack of involvement in his life. Dennis reportedly walked out on the family when young Memphis was three or four years old.

Net worth

Depay, according to an estimate from L'Equipe, earns €90,000 per week in his soon-to-expire Olympique Lyon contract.