According to reports from Sky Sports, struggling Manchester United star Memphis Depay has responded to recent criticism by insisting he’s working hard on ‘getting back to the top’.
The Netherlands international moved to Old Trafford during the summer, at a cost of £25million, after finishing last season as the Eredivisie’s top scorer, netting 22 times in 30 league appearances.
His Red Devils career started brightly enough, with goals against Club Brugge, Sunderland and former employers PSV. But the 21-year-old was hauled off at half-time during United’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal last month and has started only one game since – a Capital One Cup tie with Middlesbrough.
Organje gaffer Danny Blind said of Depay before announcing his latest squad; “In football you must function in a team. He doesn’t always do that. That’s something he has to learn,” and Louis van Gaal expressed similar concerns last month, telling reporters; “You have to give respect to your team philosophy. We have seen that some players cannot adapt to the team philosophy. You cannot know in advance before you buy them. You have to wait and see. That happened with Angel Di Maria and [Radamel] Falcao.”
There have even been reports of a shock move to Real Madrid, but Depay insists he’s focused on ‘getting back to the top’, whilst rejecting allegations that he’s not a team player.
As quoted by Sky Sports, he told Dutch media organisation NOS; “I think I’m a team player and the other players in the team also think that. I don’t think I’m in a difficult path of my career as the media talk, but I just think my form isn’t very good right now.
“I’m still working hard. Just because I don’t show the exact form that I showed at the World Cup or last year, it doesn’t mean I don’t work hard. Right now, I feel good again. Other people don’t see what I’m doing in training so people think I’m not busy with football but that’s not true.
“Of course, it’s difficult when you’re on the bench but it’s going better right now. If I get my chance to play, I will take it. I think lots of things have changed. I’m in a new club right now and it’s a different level compared to the Dutch league.
“Such things are playing a big role when you’re trying to find your way and it was a bit easy at the start but then I fell back and you could see it in the way I played. However, you can assume I’m busy with working on that and getting back to the top.