Memphis Depay

At 30 years old, Memphis Depay has this physical status:

Memphis Depay (Dutch pronunciation: [mfz dp]; born 13 February 1994), also known as Memphis, is a Dutch professional footballer who competes for La Liga clubs Barcelona and the Netherlands national team.

Memphis began his career with PSV Eindhoven, where he was an integral part of the team, scoring 50 goals in 124 games in all competitions. He was the top scorer in 30 games during the 2014–15 season and helped the team win the Economisie crown for the first time since 2008. He has also been named Dutch Footballer of the Year for his season. He was also named by France Football as the world's best young player" in 2015. Memphis joined English side Manchester United in June 2015 for a reported £25 million. He joined French club Lyon in January 2017 after a difficult spell there. He joined Barcelona in 2021 on a free transfer after four seasons there.

Memphis, a product of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), has represented the national team at every professional level, starting in junior development under the tutelage of legendary Dutch coaches and players alike. He was a member of the Netherlands under-17 team that defeated the 2011 European Championships. He made his senior debut in 2013 and was a member of their squad that finished third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he made his international debut. He has also been active in UEFA Euro 2020.

Early life

Memphis Depay was born in the small South Holland village of Moordrecht to a Ghanaian father, Dennis Depay, and Cora Schensema, a Dutch mother. It was not long before the two parents' marriage began to fall apart, and when Memphis was four, his father stepped out on the family.

Memphis has changed his last name to sever ties with his father: "Do not call me Depay, call me Memphis," the narrator has said earlier.

Personal life

Memphis has numerous tattoos, including one on his left arm that is a tribute to his grandfather, who died on the day before he turned 15. He kissed this tattoo and pointed to the sky, dedicating his effort to his late grandfather, a time he later commemorated with a tattoo on his left torso depicting Christ the Redeemer and the Netherlands' first international goal. He also has a tattoo on his upper lip stating succesful (which is Dutch for'successful') and also has the word 'dream chaser' emblazoned on his upper torso.

Memphis was announced on social media in June 2017, the youngest daughter of American television personality Steve Harvey, was engaged to Lori Harvey. They haven't maintained their friendship and dating since then.

Several animal rights groups had chastised Memphis for posting photos of him sporting a liger cub while on holiday in Dubai in April 2020. "ligers are not even wild animals," he replied, adding that "ligers are not even wild animals."

Memphis deaf and blind's deaf and blind's Cape Coast School of the Deaf and Blind in June 2022 undertook some philanthropic duties in Ghana.

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Club career

At the age of eight, Memphis impressed football scouts from Sparta Rotterdam on the fields of his boyhood club Moordrecht. Sparta's scouts came from Memphis just three seasons before he snatched Memphis from his hometown club. "Memphis was as a young player just complete," club chairman Ton Redegeld said. He was two-footed and strong. If we won 7–0, he scored five times and assisted two times. When he turned 12 years old, Memphis caught the attention of teams such as Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, and Feyenoord. Despite being an Ajax fanatic, his grandfather recommended that Memphis move to PSV.

While playing for Jong PSV, the club's reserve team, Memphis spent 2011 on trial for PSV's first team. He made his official debut on September 21, 2011 in a KNVB Cup second round match against amateur side VVSB, beginning with an 8-0 victory. PSV beat Feyenoord 3–2 at the Philips Stadion on February 26, 2012, his first Eivisie match since being in extra time for Zakaria Labyad. He scored his first league goal over Heerenveen on 18 March, six minutes after replacing Dries Mertens. In his first season as a replacement, he made eight league appearances, all as a substitute, with three goals.

Memphis defeated Heracles 3-0 in the 2012 KNVB Cup Final on Saturday, playing in place of Mertens in the place of Mertens at De Kuip in Rotterdam under interim coach Phillip Cocu. Memphis tying himself to the Boeren until 2017 on June 29th, his first professional contract with PSV. Memphis performed in the 2012 Johan Cruyf Shield at the Amsterdam Arena on August 5th, replacing Luciano Narsingh for the final six minutes after PSV defeated league champions Ajax 4–2. In his second season, he made 20 Eskimos appearances, with two of them scoring twice, including two starts. The first of these two games were over VVV-Venlo by 2–0 home win on March 2, 2013, scoring after three minutes after being set up by fellow teenager Jürgen Locadia. PSV qualified for the cup final on May 9th, losing 1–2 to AZ Alkmaar, with Memphis playing five minutes in place of Mertens.

PSV beat Zulte Waregem 2–0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie, with Memphis drifting in from the left and smashing the ball into the top corner past goalkeeper Sammy Bossut. PSV was unable to qualify for the Champions League's group stage, but Memphis defeated Chornomorets Odesa 2–0 in their second group stage match in the Europa League on October 3rd. Memphis helped Tim Matav's goal against Roda JC on October 27th, but PSV lost two second-half yellow cards and was sent off for the first time in his professional career, as PSV fell 2–1. Memphis won their second match in 13 matches on Sunday, beating Utrecht 5–1. Memphis won their eighth game in a row on March 23, 2014, beating Roda JC 3–1, having a hand in Bryan Ruiz' game-winning goal despite wearing a protective mask to cover a bruised eye socket.

Memphis won for the first time in a 2–0 victory over Breda, edging the ball past goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar to score their first in the Economy; the club will finish fourth in the E.I.

Memphis was linked to a variety of clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, after a strong showing at the 2014 World Cup. He began the season for PSV in a slew of speculation about his future. Memphis came off the bench and scored one goal and assist another in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round match against PSV and St. Pölten on August 7th, when his team advanced to the play-off round after a 3–2 home victory. Memphis played a major role in PSV's 3–1 away victory over promoted team Willem II in the first game of the Economy season three days later, scoring two goals. In a 6–1 home win over Breda, he continued his good play in the upcoming game by scoring two free-kicks and giving the lead. PSV defeated Shakhtyor Soligorsk 3–0 on aggregate on August 28th, advancing to the Europa League play-off second leg in Belarus. He scored two late goals against Shakhtyor Soligorsk. During PSV's 1–3 loss at Zwolle on September 13, he sustained a groin injury, and he was forced to leave in the 18th minute.

Memphis scored PSV's second goal in a 4–1 home win over Heerenveen on April 18, 2015, the first since 2008. Manchester United's club reported that they had received a letter from others keen to sign him later this month. In a 2–0 victory over Heracles on May 10, he scored his last home goal for PSV. As he was called on to leave, he received a standing ovation as well as compliments from his coworkers. He ended the season as the league's top scorer, with 22 goals, two behind runner-up and teammate Luuk de Jong.

PSV confirmed on May 7th that they had reached an agreement with Manchester United over Memphis' transfer, subjected to a medical. Louis van Gaal, the current United Nations boss, said he was "compelled" to sign him early due to a lack of interest from Paris Saint-Germain. Despite Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers' claims that he had never been after Memphis, PSV's director Marcel Brands said he had discussions with Liverpool over a potential transfer. United reported the signing of Memphis for a four-year deal on a four-year contract with the option to extend for a further year. At a press conference on July 10, he was announced as a United States player. After Jaap Stam, Park Ji-sung, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, he became the fourth player to join United from PSV. On Saturday, Memphis made his pre-season friendly against Club América in Seattle, where the first half would be contested by United fielded a different 11 players for each 45 minutes. During a 3–1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes, he scored his first goal for the team four days later. Memphis was given the legendary number 7 shirt, previously worn by former players including George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Memphis opened the season with a 1–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on August 8th. Ander Herrera was called off after 68 minutes, and Van Gaal said after the match that Memphis was playing in a too eager mood. Memphis scored his first two goals for Manchester United and assisted Maroune Fellaini's last goal in a 3–1 home win over Club Brugge in the first leg of the Champions League play-offs on August 18th. Memphis assisted with the first of Wayne Rooney's three goals in the second leg. In the first game of the season's group stage, he scored again on September 15 in a humiliating 2–1 loss at his former team PSV. Memphis defeated Sunderland 3–0 home on September 26th, the first time the league has dominated the sport in 110 weeks.

Memphis told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, "There are a lot of games in Manchester" following his early Premier League exploits. There are few days off work and on training days, you are mostly concerned about recovering. A week is a long one, two games a week, but it's still at a high level, and my body needs to get used to it." Ryan Giggs, the assistant manager and former United States player, denied these allegations, blaming Memphis' flashy lifestyle for his poor form. During United's 3–0 victory over Everton on October 17, the Netherlands were later admitted to the bench, as well as countryman Daley Blind, following the Netherlands' inability to qualify for UEFA Euro 2016. Despite this, Memphis was listed in the 59-man waiting list for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, but did not make the shortlist.

Memphis got his first match as a second striker after being dropped in four straight games, thanks to Anthony Martial and Rooney's unavailability, and the opportunity was given to him in a 2–1 away win over Watford at Vicarage Road. Van Gaal lauded his work as well as his first Premier League Man of the Match award. Memphis won 6–3 on aggregate in February after scoring in each of United's two Europa League games against Midtjylland; Memphis was praised for his efforts in the home leg, where he not only scored but also set up the first goal and set up the first goal; and gave his side two penalties and gave him a cross that resulted in an own goal. Van Gaal praised the match as a "turning point" for Memphis.

Memphis made only four appearances (all of them as a replacement) and had a total playing time of 20 minutes in the Premier League during the 2016–17 season. He only appeared in one match on the season, winning by 3–1 away over League One club Northampton Town on September 21, 2016, and was suspended after playing 55 minutes. He played just 46 minutes, and his last match for the club was on November 24th, when he played the final eight minutes of a 4–0 Europa League home win over Feyenoord.

Memphis agreed to a four-and-a-half-year contract with French club Lyon on January 20, 2017, extending him to the French club until 2021. The initial transfer fee was expected to be £16–17 million, potentially rising to £22 million with the addition-ons, including Lyon qualifying for the UEFA Champions League and Memphis getting a new deal. United's purchase of the agreement also included buy-back and sell-on clauses. He made his Lyon debut in the 79th minute, replacing Mathieu Valbuena in Lyon's home Ligue 1 match against Marseille, which Lyon defeated 3-1. In a 2–1 league loss to Lille on January 28, he made his first appearance for Lyon and was recalled in the 68th minute by Maxwel Cornet. Memphis scored a goal from close to the halfway line on 12 March in a match against Toulouse. It was later said it was "the dream of my life," although he distanced himself from comparisons to David Beckham's famous halfway line goal against Wimbledon in 1996.

Memphis won 3–2 and qualified for the Champions League on the last day of the 2017-18 season.

Memphis won by 3-1 over Benfica in the 2019-20 Champions League on Friday, in his fourth game in a row for Lyon. He scored an equalizer against RB Leipzig in a 2–2 draw on December 10th to help Lyon advance to the knockout phase, which he has achieved in five consecutive matches in the tournament. Memphis tore his anterior cruciate ligament while playing against Rennes in Ligue 1, bringing an excellent season to an end. He had scored nine goals in 12 league starts for Lyon starting on December 15th. In Lyon's 5–6 penalty shootout loss in the French league cup final against Paris Saint-Germain on July 31, 2020, he returned from injury to get off to a good start. Memphis scored in his sixth consecutive Champions League match, winning on a penalty against Juventus in the second leg of their round of 16 games, with new Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy leading the second Dutch player to score in six straight Champions League games. On aggregate, the tie ended 2–2 on aggregate, but Lyon progressed on the away goals rule. Lyon advanced to the semi-finals for the second time in their history since 2010, after losing to Manchester City.

Memphis defeated Dijon 4–1 in the first match of the 2020-21 season on August 28, 2020, triggering a hat-trick.

Barcelona's free transfer of Memphis from 2021 to La Liga club Barcelona was announced on June 1921. He had hoped to be a Barcelona player since the age of four, according to his grandmother. Memphis defeated Real Sociedad 4–2 at the Camp Nou on August 15th, his Barcelona debut. He scored the equalizer against Athletic Bilbao in a 1–1 draw six days later in his second game for the club.

International career

Memphis was a member of the Netherlands under-17 team that lifted the 2011 European Championships in Serbia. He scored the goal that put the Netherlands ahead in the final against Germany in Novi Sad, which brought them from behind to defeat their adversaries 5–2. He appeared in the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico later this year.

Memphis made his international debut on October 15, 2013, beating Turkey 2–0 away in World Cup qualification at the Kürbe Saraco Stadium. Louis van Gaal, the Netherlands' head coach, was named in the final 23-man team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He appeared as a replacement until the halftime whistle in the second group match against Australia to replace defender Bruno Martins Indi, who had sustained a head injury, and scored in the 68th minute, a swerving attempt from outside the box. Robin van Persie's equalizer was also set up by him. At the age of 20 years and four months, he became the youngest Dutchman to score a goal at the World Cup. In the final group match against Chile on June 23th, he came on as a replacement again, tapping in an Arjen Robben cross as they clinched first place with a 2–0 victory.

Memphis was listed on the three-man shortlist for the tournament's Best Young Player award on July 11th, alongside Frenchmen Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane, but lost out to Pogba.

Memphis' first goal since the World Cup came in a friendly at the Amsterdam Arena on June 5, 2015, deflecting Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's attempt to lift the Netherlands 3–1 over against the United States, but the team ultimately lost 4–3. He was involved in a match with teammate Robin van Persie at an international training camp in October of this year; manager Danny Blind told the world, "There are times in training where players' thoughts are different." You may not worry about it. That's what happened, and then it's over." Both Memphis and Van Persie were suspended from the Dutch squad for friendlies against Wales and Germany the following month, with blind saying of Depay, "You must play in a team." He doesn't usually do that. He has to find out what he needs to hear about it."

Memphis was one of the final 26 players chosen by coach Frank de Boer to represent the Netherlands in Euro 2020. In the round of 16 stage by the Czech Republic, he scored twice in four matches as Netherlands were eliminated.

Memphis scored his first international hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Turkey, beating Turkey on 7 September 2021, with 33 goals and equaling Johan Cruyff and Abe Lenstra's goalscoring totals for the Netherlands.

In the UEFA Nations League, Depay defeated Wales on Sunday, bringing him to 42 international goals, tied with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

Musical career

Memphis began to perform in June 2017 when he released his Los Angeles-inspired freestyle, "LA Vibes." Quincy Promes, Memphis' teammate on the Netherlands national team, was featured in the music video. Within hours of being posted on YouTube, the song's music video received over 150,000 views within hours of being posted on YouTube. Memphis' freestyle album "Kings & Queens" debuted in December 2017. On October 3rd, 2018, he collaborated with musical singers Winne and Nana Fofie, producer Rass King, on his Ghana-inspired album "AKWAABA" and also released his third freestyle, "Porto Cervo (Interlude)," with Winne. In reaction to his Instagram account's 5 million followers, Memphis released his fourth freestyle, "5-mill." Memphis' public image was hampered by the freestyle's cigar-smoking and his careless attitude, according to critics.

In December 2018, he released his second single, "No Love," after his failed engagement with model Lori Harvey. The song is multilingual, switching back and forth between English and Dutch. Memphis' "Fall Back" was released in July 2019. Broederliefde unveiled an album on November 1, 2019, which featured Memphis on the song "Lange Jas." On his Instagram, Depay's latest song, "For a Week," has been posted. "Dubai Freestyle" was released on April 17th, 2020. Memphis' new song "2 Corinthians 5:7" was released in September 2020. He debuted his debut album Heavy Stepper on November 27, 2020.

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