Don't expect Depay to play like Giggs

Former Netherlands international Pierre van
Hooijdonk believes the former PSV star has
different strengths to the Manchester United legend
Manchester United supporters should not expect
new boy Memphis Depay to play like Ryan Giggs at
Old Trafford, former Netherlands international Pierre
van Hooijdonk has warned.
Depay became United's first confirmed signing of
the summer when a €30 million deal with PSV was
announced last month and is expected to take his
place on the left flank of Louis van Gaal's attack
next season.
It is a spot Giggs made his own for much of his
remarkable career at Old Trafford, but Van
Hooijdonk believes his countryman will offer
different skills in the role.
"He's not like Ryan Giggs was," the former
Feyenoord and Nottingham Forest striker told
ESPN . "He's right-footed and comes inside
opponents. He's not going to create as many
goals as Giggs did, but he's going to score more.
He's very strong physically and mentally.
"He's had a few problems with his development
but that's part of the game. You don't learn to

cycle without falling off, but you make sure that
you must not break your leg.
"Depay's good and he can only become better. He
will do well in England but like the other young
players you need to give him a bit of time. He's a
guy that can make something happen, he's
capable of scoring goals and he strikes the ball
very well with both the inside of his foot and also
the top.
"He can score from distance and close range and
from what I saw of United last season he's already
good enough to play for them."
Van Hooijdonk believes Depay's long-standing
relationship with Van Gaal - the 21-year-old shone
under the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich
coach's guidance for the Netherlands in the 2014
World Cup - leaves him well placed to be a big hit
at Old Trafford.
"It's very important for a player if you have a
coach who knows you and has faith in you," he
added. "Van Gaal knows him from his time with
the national team and knows how to handle him.
He made a good choice about going to United.
"Look at Radamel Falcao. I don't think that Van
Gaal was a fan of him and you saw what
happened. But I do think Van Gaal is a fan of
Depay."