Ronald Koeman admits he changed his mind about Memphis Depay when holding talks with the Barcelona forward about a potential move to Premier League outfit Everton four years ago, speaking to Voetbal International.
There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance.
And while Depay certainly strayed across it on occasions, especially in his younger days, the 28-year-old’s steel-clad self-belief is certainly more of a strength than it is a weakness. Less confident footballers might not have recovered from that disappointing spell at Manchester United.
It’s testament to Depay’s unshakeable mindset, then, that he instead bounced back stronger than ever across the Channel, earning himself a move to Barcelona after establishing himself as a talismanic figure at both Lyon and with the Dutch national team.
Everton wanted Memphis Depay before he left Manchester United for Lyon
“Memphis and I are still in touch,” explains Koeman, who worked with Depay in La Liga and on the international stage. “We see each other regularly in Barcelona.
“Looking back, we can laugh about a comment I made about him when he was young. I didn’t know him personally and had seen him in a match with a national youth team. Then I said something to the press about his attitude. That he acted as if he had already won ten European Cups!”
Four years before reuniting in Catalonia, Koeman’s Everton held talks with Depay back in January 2017 (Liverpool Echo). The former PSV Eindhoven captain would eventually join Lyon in a £17 million deal instead. But not before leaving a lasting impression on his future Netherlands and Barca boss.
“During that conversation (at Everton), I noticed what a good boy he is,” the 59-year-old adds. “And that feeling was only reinforced when I later started working with him at the Orange and at Barcelona.
“Memphis is a fantastic guy and a great professional. Everything he does is all about be as fit and as good as possible.”
A thigh problem has limited Depay to just three appearances this season for Xavi Hernandez’s side. Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal will be praying that his most influential forward can return to full fitness before the World Cup group stages come to an end.
Depay has already been told that he will not be starting in the opening clash with Senegal.
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