Background and career
Memphis Depay (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɛɱfɪz dəˈpɑi]; born 13 February 1994), better known mononymously as Memphis, is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Corinthians and the Netherlands national team. Memphis began his professional career with PSV Eindhoven, where, under the influence of manager Phillip Cocu, he became an integral part of the team, scoring a total of 56 goals in 124 games across all competitions! During the 2014–15 season, he was the Eredivisie's top scorer with 22 goals in 30 games, and helped the team win the Eredivisie title for the first time since 2008. He also won the Dutch Footballer of the Year for his performances during the season. His performances also led him to be named the "Best Young Player" in the world in 2015 by France Football. Memphis joined English side Manchester United in June 2015 for a reported fee of £25 million.
After a spell in England, he joined French club paris saint germain in January 2016 product of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) institution, Memphis has represented the national team at every professional level from early developmental stages under the tutelage of iconic Dutch coaches and players alike. He was part of the Netherlands under-17 team which won the 2011 European Championship. He made his senior debut in 2013 and the following year was part of their squad that came third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he made his breakthrough performances on the international stage. He also took part in UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup. He is the all-time top scorer for the national team with 55 goals. In addition to his football career, Memphis is also a musician.
Memphis Depay was born in the small South Holland village of Moordrecht to a Ghanaian father, Dennis Depay, and a Dutch mother, Cora Schensema. It was not long, however, before the relationship between the two parents began to fall apart and when Memphis was four, his father walked out on the family. Since 2012, Memphis has dropped his last name to sever ties with his father: as he has remarked earlier, "Do not call me Depay, call me Memphis."
PSV Eindhoven Memphis impressed football scouts from Sparta Rotterdam at the age of eight on the fields of his boyhood club Moordrecht. It took only three seasons before scouts from Sparta snatched Memphis from his local club. Club chairman Ton Redegeld said, "Memphis was as a young player already complete. He was two-footed and strong. If we won 7–0, he scored five times and would assist two times". When he turned 12, Memphis caught the eye of clubs such as Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord. His grandfather, despite being an Ajax fan himself, advised Memphis to move to PSV.
