Netherlands vs. Japan: Why Memphis Depay deserves to be recognised as a Dutch legend

Netherlands have been blessed with some sensational attackers during their rich football history, but it would be fair to say that Memphis Depay is not generally in that conversation.

Johan Cruyff, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Robin van Persie are all examples of the sensational talent that the Dutch national side have had in attack.

However, it is Memphis that sits at the top of the all-time goalscoring list for Netherlands, having found the back of the net on 55 occasions in 109 appearances.

Memphis' record is just slightly better than a goal every two games, while he has also come up with 36 assists since making his debut back in 2013.

The 32-year-old is joint-fourth with Rafael van der Vaart on the all-time appearance list, with Frank de Boer (112), Edwin van der Sar (130) and Wesley Sneijder (134) the only three players to have represented the Dutch men's national side on more occasions.

Memphis is Netherlands' all-time leading goalscorer

Memphis was vital to Netherlands qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, scoring 10 goals and registering four assists in seven outings, including a hat-trick against Turkey.

To put it simply, Memphis is a Dutch legend, but it would be fair to say that he gets overlooked by football supporters as a whole, most likely due to his struggles at Manchester United.

Memphis showed huge promise at PSV Eindhoven in the early stages of his career before earning a move to Man United in the summer of 2015, but it never happened for him at Old Trafford.

In total, the forward represented the Red Devils on 53 occasions, scoring seven goals and registering five assists, and he left for Lyon in January 2017.

Memphis' talent was never in doubt, but he just could not seem to put it together at Old Trafford.

Memphis struggled during his time at Man United

Lyon were certainly able to get a tune out of Memphis, scoring 76 goals and registering 56 assists in 178 appearances, before representing Barcelona between 2021 and 2023, finishing with 13 goals and two assists in 42 appearances for the club.

Memphis' last European club was Atletico Madrid, netting 13 goals and registering two assists in 40 appearances for the club between 2023 and 2024, before making the move to Brazil.

The forward has managed 20 goals and 15 assists in 79 appearances for Corinthians, but his contract is due to expire this summer, and it remains unclear what the future holds.

"I think I've already spoken enough, I've done enough, I think everyone knows my desire. The club, the fans, they know that I love Corinthians. I would love to stay, obviously it is not that easy, but we are looking at the best way to negotiate," Depay told reporters at the end of May.

"Honestly, I see myself here. These two years passed quickly. I remember the first time I was here in front of you. I remember the situation we, as a team, were in. And, two years later, it's a totally different feeling. But still far, I think, from what I want to achieve here and what the club needs. This fight is far from over.

Memphis deserves to be recognised as a Netherlands legend

"I think I said in my first press conference that I came here with a purpose, but after two years, so many things happened that my purpose also changed. But my feeling is still here, at Corinthians. So let's see.

"I'm going to the World Cup. And, in the end, it's a combination between me and the club, which also needs to show its ambition. What is the ambition for us, for the club, for the fans? Corinthians is a huge club. And it deserves, I say again, it deserves more titles. It deserves more organisation. It deserves many good things. And the fans are some of the people who deserve it most."

Memphis' attention is currently on the World Cup, and he will be hoping to start against Japan in his country's opener on Sunday.

The forward was an unused substitute against Uzbekistan last time out due to a recent hamstring issue, but Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman should select him from the start against Japan, who have been tipped as shock challengers for the trophy this summer.

Memphis has scored three times at the finals of a World Cup, netting in the 2014 and 2022 competitions.

Netherlands are arguably the best country to have never won a World Cup, and Memphis would truly establish himself as a great by leading his team to success this summer, but he already deserves to be regarded as a legend of Dutch football.