As he prepares to leave Lyon, Memphis Depay claims he "lost my joy" for football while at Manchester United.
Despite being offered a new contract by Lyon, Depay has decided to leave the club on a free transfer in the summer, as his contract expires at the end of next month.
Barcelona are said to be the frontrunners to sign the Dutch international after Depay had 20 goals and ten assistsin Ligue 1 this season.
Depay has scored 75 goals in 176 appearances for Lyon since joining the club in 2017 after leaving Manchester United.
His time at Old Trafford did not go as planned, with only two Premier League goals in his 18 months there.
And Depay has now admitted that he lost interest in football during his time with the Red Devils.
“It [Lyon] will be in my heart, a part of my life,” Depay told L'Equipe (via Sport Witness). I considered getting a tattoo as a souvenir or a date. It was a wise decision to come here.
"People would ask me, 'But why are you leaving Manchester United?'" A new coach will arrive, and you will be joining the world's largest club...'
In their place, I would have been disappointed to see a player squander his prime years by remaining at a large club and playing infrequently. I had lost my joy, as well as my football, there. I discovered them here.”
In 2018, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas explained how the French giants were able to get the most out of the 27-year-old in a way that Manchester United could not.
“I told him we really like him,” Aulas said. “He's a boy who needs to be loved. He has the ability to change a match at any time, as he did against Paris.
“He made incredible technical moves, some of which aided the club and the outcome, while others irritated us.
“With his technique, he brings things to Lyon that are rarely seen. We can only love him because of his personality, even if he occasionally frustrates us.”
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