Memphis Depay

Memphis helped PSV secure a place in European competition for the 41st consecutive year, edging the ball past goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar to score their first in a 2–0 win against Breda; the final day win ensured that the club would finish fourth in the Eredivisie table.

Memphis Depay (born 13 February 1994), also known simply as Memphis, is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Netherlands national team.

Memphis began his professional career with PSV Eindhoven, where, under the influence of manager Phillip Cocu, he became an integral part of the team, scoring 49 goals in 124 games across all competitions.

He was part of the Netherlands under-17 team which won the 2011 European Championship.

In 2011, Memphis was on trial for PSV's first team while playing for Jong PSV, the club's reserve team.

He made his official debut on 21 September 2011 in a KNVB Cup second round match against amateur side VVSB, opening an 8–0 away win.

Since 2012, Memphis has dropped his last name to sever ties with his father: as he has remarked earlier, "Do not call me Depay, call me Memphis."

Memphis impressed football scouts from Sparta Rotterdam at the age of eight on the fields of his boyhood club Moordrecht.

It took only three seasons before scouts from Sparta snatched Memphis from his local club.

Club chairman Ton Redegeld said, "Memphis was as a young player already complete. He was two-footed and strong. If we won 7–0, he scored five times and would assist two times".

When he turned 12, Memphis caught the eye of clubs such as Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.

His grandfather, despite being an Ajax fan himself, advised Memphis to move to PSV.

His first Eredivisie match was 26 February 2012, when PSV beat rivals Feyenoord 3–2 at the Philips Stadion, coming on in added time for Zakaria Labyad.

On 18 March, six minutes after replacing Dries Mertens, he scored his first league goal to confirm a 5–1 win over Heerenveen.

He made a total of eight league appearances in his first season, all as a substitute, scoring three goals.

Memphis featured in the 2012 KNVB Cup Final on 8 April, playing the final four minutes of the 3–0 win over Heracles in place of Mertens at De Kuip in Rotterdam under interim coach Phillip Cocu.

On 5 August, Memphis featured in the 2012 Johan Cruyff Shield at the Amsterdam Arena, replacing Luciano Narsingh for the final six minutes as PSV defeated league champions Ajax 4–2.

He made 20 Eredivisie appearances in his second season, scoring twice, including two starts.

He made his senior debut in 2013 and the following year was part of their squad that came third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he made his breakthrough performances on the international stage.

The first of these was on 2 March 2013 in a 2–0 home win over VVV-Venlo, scoring after three minutes after being set up by fellow teenager Jürgen Locadia.

PSV again reached the cup final, losing 1–2 to AZ Alkmaar on 9 May, with Memphis playing five minutes in place of Mertens.

Memphis scored his first goal in UEFA competition on 30 July 2013, when he drifted in from the left and then smashed the ball into the top corner past goalkeeper Sammy Bossut as PSV defeated Zulte Waregem 2–0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie.

PSV failed to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, but in its second group stage match in the Europa League, Memphis scored again in a 2–0 win against Chornomorets Odesa on 3 October.

Memphis provided the assist for Tim Matavž's goal against Roda JC on 27 October, but picked up two second-half yellow cards and was sent off for the first time in his professional career as PSV lost 2–1.

On 15 December, Memphis helped PSV to just their second win in 13 matches, scoring twice in a 5–1 win over Utrecht.

During the 2014–15 season, he was the Eredivisie's top scorer with 22 goals in 30 games, and helped the team win the Eredivisie title for the first time since 2008.

He also won the Dutch Footballer of the Year for his performances during the season.

Memphis helped PSV rack up their eighth win a row on 23 March 2014, a 3–1 win over Roda JC, having a hand in Bryan Ruiz's game-winning goal despite wearing a protective mask to cover a bruised eye socket suffered in a challenge with Renato Ibarra of Vitesse on 15 March.

After a successful showing at the 2014 World Cup, Memphis was linked to a number of clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Amid the speculation surrounding his future, he started the season for PSV in impressive fashion.

Memphis came off the bench to score one goal and assist another in the return game of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie between PSV and St. Pölten on 7 August, as his team progressed to the play-off round after a 3–2 away win, giving them a 4–2 aggregate win over the Austrians.

His performances also led him to be named the "Best Young Player" in the world in 2015 by France Football.

Memphis joined English side Manchester United in June 2015 for a reported fee of £25 million.

After a disappointing spell there, he joined French club Lyon in January 2017.

After five seasons there, he joined Barcelona in 2021 on a free transfer.

A product of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) institution, Memphis has represented the national team at every professional level from early developmental stages under the tutelage of iconic Dutch coaches and players alike.

On 29 June, Memphis signed his first professional contract with PSV, tying himself to the Boeren until 2017.

He also took part in UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.

Memphis Depay was born in the small South Holland village of Moordrecht to a Ghanaian father, Dennis Depay, and a Dutch mother, Cora Schensema.

It was not long, however, before the relationship between the two parents began to fall apart and when Memphis was four, his father walked out on the family.