The Netherlands international attacker credits a poor two seasons playing under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho for his success with Lyon
Memphis Depay admits that his struggles at Manchester United have made him a better player.
The Netherlands international joined the Red Devils in 2015 from PSV Eindhoven for €30 million, leading to many supporters labelling him the next big star at Old Trafford.
Pogba FGS boosted to 8/1
Article continues below
Editors' Picks
Juve on alert: Exiled Icardi may have already played his final game for Inter Sarri vindicated for dropping Kepa as Chelsea & Pedro impress in Spurs win Magnificent Mane takes centre stage as league leaders Liverpool put on a five-star show Lukaku sends reminder that his Man Utd career is far from over
But Depay was unable to make an impact at the club under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, and he eventually left for Lyon in a €16m move after scoring just twice in 33 Premier League matches.
“In the first season, I didn’t contribute enough, but I really believe you need a year to succeed in the Premier League, it’s the fastest league in the world,” Depay said, according to ESPN. “The second, I had my self-belief back, but I didn’t play.”
“It’s then that you look at yourself in the mirror and you ask yourself a lot of questions: ‘Am I not good enough?’ It was really tough. To stay positive, you have to be very strong mentally. That experience made me grow up and is useful to me today.”
Depay has found new life in Ligue 1, with five goals in 17 appearances in 2016-17 and one in two league matches so far this season.