He may be deep into a new chapter of his career, but Memphis Depay returned to Manchester on Tuesday to find an old story creeping up on him.
Featuring a bad performance, a flashy car and a hat, Wayne Rooney’s recent anecdote about the Dutch winger had all the signs of a certified Memphis misadventure. He promised so much upon his arrival in 2015 after looking bright at the World Cup and starring in the Eredivisie with PSV, but in just a few sentences, his former team-mate perfectly summed up that 18-month Manchester United spell.
“He came on at Stoke away and he messed up for their goal and he only played 15 minutes, so Louis van Gaal told him he was playing for the reserves the next day,” Rooney said, referring to a 2-0 defeat in 2015.