Dick Advocaat is looking forward to Memphis Depay’s performances for the Dutch national team at the European Championship. The former national coach of the Dutch calls the attacker the absolute leader of the selection and expresses his admiration for the way in which the the Dutch international has made his dreams come true. Lawyer also wondered whether Depay will actually exchange Olympique Lyon for Barcelona.
Presenter Wilfred Genee asked the lawyer which football player of the Dutch national team he is looking forward to at the European Championship. “Depay”, emphasized the former national coach of the Dutch immediately. “He is really the leader of the team. He has the charisma, the qualities, the goals. If he’s in good form, he’ll take a lot of players. He’s just an excellent footballer.”
Advocaat emphasized that Depay comes into its own with the Dutch national team in the point of the attack. Genee noted that national coach Frank de Boer would then have to opt for a different system. “He probably won’t do that,” Advocaat agreed. René van der Gijp would, however, put PSV player Donyell Malen in the lead. “He is more of a striker than a winger, while Depay plays the role of a winger better.” Lawyer: “But Depay does not want that.”
“When Depay plays on the left, he is rarely there,” continued Van der Gijp. Johan Derksen stated that Depay should be given a free role. “He scores easier than Malen.” Advocaat has known Depay for years, from their joint period at PSV. “He was eighteen years old. At the time I was standing in the parking lot with a fat car and then it came to me. He was only part of the first team at the time. He said, “Sir, what a nice car you have.” And then he was so convinced that he was going to make it himself. He said: ‘Manager, when I’m older, I’ll have made it as a professional footballer’.”
“Depay has done everything he can to get to this point and I really appreciate that. licentious? Yes, he sure was. But if you see how he is now, how he plays now, all the clubs want him. Then he lived up to his words.” Lawyer does not know where Depay’s future lies in club context and whether Barcelona, one of the clubs with concrete interest, has a chance. “Nowadays, money also plays a major role. The big money probably won’t be with Barcelona.”
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