Saturday, July 17, 2021 at 3:24 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 15:26

Memphis Depay learned more about his own background last year. The Barcelona attacker is back in good contact with his father and has asked his parents about the origin of his first name. His name appears to have had a deep meaning for his parents, says Depay in an interview with Kenyan social media celebrity Elsa Majimbo.

Majimbo, who became known during the pandemic for short, comedic videos in which she eats chips, sits back and puts on her sunglasses while discussing life situations, Depay asks with some surprise about his “American-sounding” first name. “I’ve asked my parents a few times now that I’m getting along well with my father,” Depay responds. “Memphis is, of course, a city in the United States, on the Mississippi. When I was born, there was no blood, only water. My parents had a connection with water. I’ve had ancestors in Mississippi who were slaves. The name Memphis has a deep meaning. It is also a city in Egypt, on the Nile, where Moses was. The name has a beautiful meaning. I only found out about that last year.”

Depay also talks about his pride in playing for the Netherlands in the interview. The 68-time international, good for 28 goals in the Dutch, can still remember that he made his debut in October under Louis van Gaal. “I was very proud. As a child I saw certain players play for the country and that is what you want to achieve. When you asked me as a child where I wanted to play later, I said: ‘For the national team of the Netherlands’, in instead of a club. The national team has such a big impact on the whole country and the world. Everyone is watching the final tournaments. When I was called up I felt very proud. It has had a big impact on my life. “

Depay notices an essential difference between club football and international football. The atmosphere around national teams appeals to him more. “When you play for your country, you feel the atmosphere. The whole country comes together and joins forces. When you play for your club, everyone is against each other. You have rivals and the atmosphere can be tense. But when the national team, everyone comes together. That is the power of sport.”