Barcelona: Memphis Depay’s redemption from a 18 month Old Trafford blotch
By Akash Roy
Memphis Depay’s time at Manchester United is a huge blot on his career sheet. FC Barcelona’s newly recruited forward has come a long way for his redemption.
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Depay is at the peak of his playing career right now. It made solid sense for a club like Barcelona to snatch him up from the free agency in a blink of an eye. Memphis will soon be playing alongside Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero, and Antoine Griezmann in Barça’s frontlines. His rise to the top wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. The Dutch’s life was lined up with roadblocks.
It all began during his childhood in Moordrecht. His Ghanaian father Dennis abandoned his mother Cora when Memphis was only four. His mother remarried another man with a family. After Memphis moved in with his mother to his stepfather’s, he was subjugated to racism and bullying. Both he and his mother endured a tormented environment for quite a while.
For a young Memphis, football became his solace. He thrived in the sport. Soon he began to be plucked from clubs around the Netherlands. First, he started his journey with Moordrecht, his local club, followed by three years at Sparta Rotterdam. Then came the significant step up when he joined PSV Eindhoven.
He climbed up the ranks as he grew under the influence of manager Phillip Cocu. He became an integral part of the team, scoring 50 goals in 124 games across all competitions, and spent nine long years at the club. He won the Dutch Footballer of the Year for his performances during the season. His performances also led him to be named the “Best Young Player” in the world in 2015 by France Football.