Memphis Depay scored a hat-trick for the Netherlands in his side’s 6-1 victory over Turkey on Tuesday night to equal Cruyff in the country’s goalscorers chart.
The forward scored three times and provided an assist in a brilliant performance against Turkey, taking his tally to 33 goals in 71 appearances.
Depay’s first goal of the night took him level with Wesley Sneijder on the overall goalscorers list. The former Lyon man then surpassed the former Oranje captain with his second of the night.
With his goalscoring feat, Depay has now moved into his country’s top 10 goalscorers list of all-time. The hat-trick moves Depay up to joint-eighth Cruyff and Abe Lenstra on the list. The latter represented the Netherlands in the 1940s and 1950s.
It is however important to note that while Depay needed 71 appearances to equal Cruyff, the Netherlands legend achieved that number of goals in just 47 matches.
Also Read:
- Super Eagles Come Back To Defeat Cape Verde
- France End Winless Run With Win Over Finland
- Croatia Forward Mario Mandzukic Retires From Football
In a post-match interview, Depay spoke about his excitement and happiness at being able to equal the achievement of Netherlands legend Cruyff with the hattrick.
“I’m happy, but I expect more from myself. People think that I’m always floating and that everything is going well,” he said to NOS.
“I’m important and threatening, I always will be, whatever happens. I thought it was a great evening with a great atmosphere, I hope everyone enjoyed it.
“[Cruyff and Lenstra] are two legends, you can’t compare them to anyone. They have done so many defining things and put Netherlands on the map.
“For me it’s great that I keep scoring goals and that we win. I strive for more. I want to be in the top three of the top scorers’ list.”
The 27-year-old has been in exceptional form for Netherlands over the past year, scoring 14 goals in his last 14 appearances.
Depay seems to be a man in form as he has also replicated his goalscoring prowess at club level as well. The forward has scored two goals and provided an assist in three appearances for Barcelona in La Liga so far.
Enjoyed the article? Share with others as well. Stay in the know, follow us on Twitter @punditgist.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.