Memphis Depay has only been at Manchester United for a short while, but he is already showing signs that he wants to become a club legend at Old Trafford.
According to The Telegraph, the young Dutchman has asked manager Louis van Gaal to give him the club’s iconic number seven shirt, previously worn by the likes of George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Depay feels that he can handle the weight of expectation that comes with wearing the number seven, and he might get his wish with the departure of the club’s previous number seven, Angel Di Maria, to French champions Paris Saint-Germain today.
However, in recent years the number has become something of a curse, with multiple players having disappointed while wearing the seven. Michael Owen endured countless injury problems during his three-year spell with the Reds, while Antonio Valencia had perhaps his worst season at Old Trafford before voluntarily giving up the shirt a year later. Di Maria impressed early on last season, but his performances were extremely inconsistent and the Argentine leaves Manchester just a year after signing for the Reds.
The £25 million summer signing from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven has been wearing the number nine shirt throughout pre-season, and with Premier League clubs having to submit their final squad numbers by midday on Friday, it won’t be long until we see whether Memphis will be granted his request.
