EURO 2024 Player to Watch: Dutchman on a mission 🇳🇱 | OneFootball

EURO 2024 is almost upon us and some of the continent’s greatest players will soon be taking to the field in Germany and competing for European international football’s biggest prize.

Many PUMA athletes will be strutting their stuff at the tournament, and in this three-part series we are profiling the ones to watch.

Today we have…

Name: Memphis Depay

Boots: PUMA ULTRA ULTIMATE

Age: 30

Nationality: Dutch

International caps: 91

Clubs played for: PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Lyon, Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid

Career highlights

Playing style and evolution

Heavily in demand from an early age, Memphis has courted some of Europe’s biggest and best throughout his career.

His final season at PSV saw Manchester United and Liverpool embroiled in a tug-of-war for his services. But a two-year spell at Old Trafford failed to bring the best out of the former Eredivisie top scorer, with only seven goals from 53 games in all competitions and none in his final eight.

A change of scenery saw Memphis flourish at Lyon, averaging 0.4 goals per match that earned a lifelong dream move to Barcelona, where he was part of a title-winning side despite joining Atlético mid-season.

His time in the Spanish capital has been frustrated by injury and playing second fiddle to Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata’s partnership, but still produced a late leveller in the Champions League last-16 clash with Inter, which the Colchoneros snatched in extra time.

Best goal so far

A no-look strike from just over the halfway line that capped off Lyon’s 4-0 rout over Toulouse in March 2017. Memphis spun his advancing opponent before channelling his inner David Beckham to catch out goalkeeper Alban Lafont and win Ligue 1’s Goal of the Season.

What can we expect from him at EURO 2024?

Ronald Koeman has taken a gamble on his one-time Barça player, who was named in the Netherlands’ 26-man squad despite fitness concerns.

Memphis remains an all-important figure for his country as their designated free kick and penalty taker.

Historically, he has thrived when the odds are stacked against him and with the Oranje going head-to-head with tournament favourites France, his role at the fulcrum of their attack promises to be an impactful one.