Memphis Depay has revealed he was "totally unhappy" during his time at Manchester United, claiming he achieved more in his first six months at Atletico Madrid than during his entire spell at Old Trafford.
The Dutch forward joined United in 2015 with considerable fanfare after impressing at the 2014 World Cup and scoring 28 goals in all competitions in his final season at PSV Eindhoven. Louis van Gaal, who had managed him at international level, brought him to the Premier League, but things did not go to plan.
Depay scored five times in 11 European appearances for United but managed only two league goals. In his 2019 book Heart of a Lion, he reflected on his struggles in England, admitting he found the defensive responsibilities handed to him by Van Gaal frustrating. Things worsened after Jose Mourinho replaced Van Gaal as manager, with Depay playing just 134 minutes under the Portuguese.
Mental health struggles at Old Trafford
"During that time I lost it," Depay wrote. "After training I went home and didn’t want to see anybody. That was mentally a very bad period. And it got worse every day."
"Looking from the outside I had a good life: being a part of one of the biggest clubs in the world, living in a beautiful home with a swimming pool, together with my best friend Gigi [Vitale], driving in a Rolls-Royce. But I was totally unhappy with my life."
"For the first time I lost the joy in playing football. The most beautiful thing in my whole life, football, gave me a very sad feeling. The frustration grew by the day and I didn’t know how to change that."
Career revival at Lyon and Atletico
Depay left United in January 2017 and revived his career at Lyon, where he averaged a goal or assist every 100 minutes on the pitch. That form earned him a move to Barcelona when compatriot Ronald Koeman took charge at the Catalan club.
He moved from Barcelona to Atletico Madrid in January 2023, and by his fifth appearance - his first start - he had already passed his United tally of two league goals. Despite that bright start, he later shared a cryptic farewell message after apparent frustrations over a lack of game time under Diego Simeone.
"Not easy to say how I feel about writing this message because I feel that things could’ve been very different," he wrote. "Maybe it’s better to keep that conversation for another time…"
"To Atleti, my team-mates, the staff and especially the fans, I wanna thank you for the energy and support I’ve experienced in my time being a Atleti player I keep the good memories close to my heart."
Life after Madrid
Depay joined Corinthians in 2024 after leaving Madrid and has registered 20 goals and 16 assists in 88 games since, while also becoming his nation's all-time top scorer with 55 goals and counting.
His former clubs have had contrasting starts to the season, with Atletico trailing La Liga leaders Barcelona by five points, while United sit 13th in the Premier League heading into their Champions League meeting at the Metropolitano.
