New boy Memphis Depay will wear his first name on the back of his Manchester United shirt next season.
Depay – the Dutch international who recently arrived from PSV for a fee north of £20m – has only ever worn ‘Memphis’ on his shirts owing to a bad relationship with his father. Depay’s parents split when he was four and his father has apparently not been an active figure in the winger’s life.
Instead, Memphis sought guidance from his grandfather. He has tattoos dedicated to his grandfather on his left arm. “That man gave me a lot of strength and took great care of me. At that moment I thought to myself, I’ve got to go for it. I know where I want to go, and that is the top,” he said.
Due to the new kit deal with adidas commencing on 1st August, it is unlikely that any new shirt announcements will be made official, with some even speculating that United are holding off announcing any new signings at all until that time. Depay wore number 22 for PSV and has worn 21 for Holland – those numbers are currently worn by Nick Powell and Ander Herrera respectively, though, if as expected, Powell is loaned out, that number will become available (as we saw in the 2013/14 season when Anderson was loaned to Fiorentina and Juan Mata assumed the number 8 shirt). Numbers 9, 15 and 19 are also available.
Squad numbers are usually confirmed on the eve of the new season although it may well be that the club do so sooner in order to make up for lost time with regard shirt sales.
Memphis became the youngest Dutchman to score a goal at the World Cup at the age of 20 and four months when he struck the winner for Holland in their group match with Australia in Brazil.
