Manchester United winger Memphis Depay is confident he will be able to cope with the pressure of wearing the famous number seven for the club and has vowed to wear it with pride.
Memphis had a decent debut for Manchester United as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on the opening day of the Premier League.
He signed from Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven in the summer, but looked completely at home at Old Trafford as he attempted a variety of tricks, raced at Tottenham’s back four and played a key part in the build-up to Kyle Walker’s own goal, which settled the match in the 22nd minute.
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“It’s an honour to wear the number seven”
Depay had originally taken up the number 9 at Manchester United when he first arrived. This was due to the fact that Argentina international and now PSG winger Angel Di Maria was wearing the number 7 at the club.
However, following his departure, Depay decided to take the famous jersey that has seen some legendary names associated with it, including George Best, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona.
Happy to take the pressure on his shoulders that comes with wearing the legendary jersey number, Depay is convinced he will have a good first year at the club.
“Yes, of course [I’m aware of the pressure] and the history,” the United forward was quoted saying to ESPN FC.
“I appreciate the history, but I want to be my own man. It’s an honour to wear the number seven and I will wear it with pride.”
“Last year I played with seven on my back [for PSV] and I scored a lot of goals so I am confident with that number.”
Depay scored a total of 22 league goals as PSV romped to a comfortable Dutch league win.
Depay outlines United ambition
Depay might have failed to score on debut, but his runs and trickery were enough to have the United fans on the edge of their seats.
The 21-year-old is aware of the long list of players in United’s history who have displayed similar traits like Ryan Giggs, Ronaldo and George Best, and is determined to succeed.
“I’m aware of that and I want to be as good as possible this year,” Depay added.
“I want to bring creative things, goals.
“I have to play with discipline in midfield. I can’t lose the ball too much, but I can make risks on the sides and when I come into the third phase, then I can make my tricks and take risks.”
