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As Holland romped to victories over Hungary and Turkey in the recent World Cup qualifiers, in the background sat a 19-year-old PSV Eindhoven winger who had turned down his father’s home country, Ghana, in order to fight for his place in Louis Van Gaal’s impressive Holland squad. Memphis Depay has dazzled Eredivisie defences this season with his nifty footwork and it won’t be long before the inevitable transfer speculation will find its way to his doorstep.
Depay is predominantly an inverted left-winger, a typical modern flyer whose directness is very difficult to control. At just 19-years-old, it is scary to imagine how good the Dutchman could become as the latest in a long line of young talents who have began their careers in the Eredivisie.
He has been likened to Arjen Robben as his willingness to drive at defences, cut inside and shoot from distance is evident every time he picks up the ball. The prospect of having Robben on the right and Depay on the left in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 system, both cutting in onto their stronger foot and testing opposition full-backs, is a strong possibility for the Dutch in the near future.
Now let’s take a look at the statistical evidence which make Depay one of the most promising on the continent.
In the Eredivisie, he has been given licence to show off his array of attacking talents. He has exploded onto the scene this season after being rotated in and out of the team last campaign. Only Dusan Tadic (35) of FC Twente has created more chances than Depay (26) so far this term. The areas in which he has created these opportunities show off his ability to cut inside and find that killer pass whilst also being able to use his pace to beat his full-back, get to the by-line and find a cross.
As we know, Depay is not afraid to attack. He has attempted 45 take-ons already this season and has completed 27 of them at a 60% success rate. If he hadn’t had suffered 21 fouls, this figure would have no doubt been higher. He always tries something when he gets possession, a boldness which is always admired in a youngster.
But what is great to see is his willingness to win the ball back if one of his dribbles doesn’t come off, a trait very reminiscent of Bayern Munich wide-men Robben and Franck Ribery. Depay has won 91% of his tackles this season.
However, it is Depay’s shooting ability that has really captured the imaginition of his admirers. He is willing to shoot on sight, like a much rawer version of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, attempting an average of four shots per game so far this campaign, which is a total of 42 shots in nine league games. 55% of these attempts have gone on target.
His shooting has allowed him to score three times in the league and once in the Europa League but he will be aiming to turn more of the shots he attempts into goals in the future, much like his Portuguese peer does in La Liga. An example of just one of his amazing goals this season, in the Europa League against Chornomorets, is linked below.
Depay also possesses another weapon, he has a lethal free kick in which he can make the ball swerve in all sorts of directions following contact with his right boot. He has a handy knack of being able to create this remarkable swerve and dip on the ball on a consistent basis and hits the target more often than not. You can tell he practices and fine tunes his shooting technique regularly in training.
The youngster was capped for the first time in the 89th minute of the Turkey game, ruling Ghana out of running to cap him first and showing that he has a big future in Dutch football. It also means he has a big chance of going to the World Cup and if this form continues, Van Gaal would be silly not to pick him.
Playing in the Eredivisie should work to his advantage too as he is able to express himself more than if he played in a higher standard of league. Playing under Phillip Cocu in this youthful PSV side which will challenge for the title will also aid his development significantly.
Once he develops further, big clubs from better leagues will be swooping in to sign him. One recommendation of a club that would suit his style that I can give right now is Tottenham, as they could do with a natural, pacey left-winger who is willing to beat his man. Nacer Chadli and Gylfi Sigurdsson are obviously good, reliable players but once Depay reaches his potential he will likely surpass their abilities on the left-wing. He may still be very raw but being able to express himself at PSV will only serve him well in the future.
