Ronald Koeman is delighted for Memphis Depay, who on Tuesday became the joint all-time top scorer for the Dutch national team with two goals against Malta. The head coach thinks it’s impressive how the 31-year-old forward has fought his way back in Brazil.
Memphis had 48 goals for Oranje until Tuesday, with only Robin van Persie ahead of him on the all-time top scorers list for the Dutch national team. With two goals against Malta (8-0 victory) in the Euroborg in Groningen, Memphis equaled Van Persie.
Head coach Koeman spoke highly of Memphis afterwards. “I have always thought Memphis was a great player,” Koeman said at the press conference. “He deserves a big compliment. 50 goals in 102 international matches… Then you’re almost one in two.”
Memphis would have liked to have scored his 51st to become the sole all-time top scorer, but he was substituted after more than seventy minutes. “Should I have left him on? No, why?” Koeman said. “Let him score his 51st next time and get the record alone. Then we play at home against Poland. That’s how he stays hungry.”
Koeman has played a prominent role in Memphis’s goal production. Despite the regularly harsh criticism from the outside world, the coach retained confidence in Memphis in his first and second periods as Oranje head coach. Koeman never doubted the striker.
“He has been so important for the Dutch national team, in both my first and second periods. I remember that he didn’t always play at his club Olympique Lyonnais in his first period. Then I still brought him in. He always delivered.”
Koeman became convinced in Brazil
After his disappointing performances at the European Championship in Germany last year, Memphis had to take a step back with Oranje. He was passed over for the last three international periods of 2024, also because in Koeman’s eyes he was not fit enough. Memphis first had to prove himself at his Brazilian club Corinthians.
But Koeman always kept the door open for a return. In February, the head coach and director of top football of the KNVB, Nigel de Jong, visited Brazil to see how Memphis was doing.
“Nigel and I went there to look Memphis in the eye and get a feeling whether or not to continue with him,” Koeman said. “I wanted to get an image from a training session and a match about his fitness, supplemented with data. All in all, I became convinced that he could still do it.”
With a goal against Spain in the Nations League quarter-finals in March and three goals in the World Cup qualifying matches against Finland and Malta this month, Memphis showed that he can still score for Oranje. Koeman has respect for the way the experienced striker has fought his way back in Brazil.
“That comes from himself. He often struggled with muscle injuries last year. Then it is difficult to get fit. He also had something like in Brazil: I will show it, because I am doubted. What he has shown is special.”