Memphis Depay says Louis van Gaal personally 'congratulated' him after Manchester United debut against Club America

Dutch forward impressed in Seattle

James Orr
Sunday 19 July 2015 13:27 EDT
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Memphis Depay in action during his Manchester United debut on Friday night
Memphis Depay in action during his Manchester United debut on Friday night (GETTY IMAGES)

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Memphis Depay says that manager Louis van Gaal personally "congratulated" him on his Manchester United debut this weekend.

The Dutch forward played the first 45 minutes of United's 1-0 win over Club America in Seattle on Friday night, before Van Gaal changed all 11 of his players for the second half.

"The manager said congratulations on my debut afterwards, he was happy for me," the 21-year-old told Manchester United's official website. "He expects much more from me as well and that’s important for me to work on. I had some moments and some passes but I expect more from myself. I’ll keep focused and keep training hard."

The £25m addition from PSV also spoke of delight at playing alongside club captain Wayne Rooney for the first time, saying it was "an honour".

“Wayne coached me a lot through the game and talked to me about which position I should take and when to defend," he said. "We have to form a duo and I have the right feeling with him. It’s an honour to play with such a legend like Wazza.

“It was a crazy feeling to make my debut and a very special one. To think where I came from to where I am now, making my debut for Manchester United. I’m very happy. It was 45 minutes and only pre-season but the focus is on keeping my body in shape. It was important to win the game and we did that."

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