Having failed to perform well in his debut season at Manchester United, Dutch forward Memphis Depay thinks that manager Louis van Gaal may have lost faith in him.
Depay, who was bought from Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven for a reported sum of £27 million in the summer of 2015, has been disappointing in his first season at the Old Trafford, managing to score just five goals in total. The Dutchman has often been criticised for failing to live up to the expectations that accompany a big money move.
In fact, Depay has not played for about two weeks, ever since he gave away a penalty in the first leg of Manchester United’s Europa League clash against Liverpool. Speaking to the media, Depay said that he still gets the vote of confidence from national team coach Danny Blind.
“The national team boss gives me a lot of support,” Depay was quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror. “He has confidence in me. And that makes me really grateful towards him.
“The national coach knows my qualities really well and I know that I can do a massive job for my country in the qualification series towards the next World Cup.”
However, when asked about whether or not he receives similar support at Manchester United, Depay replied, “Only sometimes”.
Memphis looking for reassurance at Manchester United
While he seems to have lost favour with strict disciplinarian Louis van Gaal, Depay said that he is looking to extend his future at the club. He said, “There are certain people within the club with whom I am talking about this.”
With the international break coming up, his national side are scheduled to play a couple of friendlies against England and the Republic of Ireland. The 22-year-old can play these two matches without much pressure to perform, as the Netherlands have failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and are not really preparing for the tournament, unlike the other teams.
Also, with Van Gaal’s future at Manchester United being doubtful, Depay might see himself getting more game time at the Old Trafford under a new manager next season.
