Memphis Depay says Jose Mourinho stopped short of seeing his full potential as a Manchester United player.
The Dutch winger joined Lyon in January this year in a permanent move that could rise to a reported £21.7 million after making just four appearances under the Portuguese manager.
Depay has enjoyed a revival in Ligue 1, with a goal tally of five in 17 league games last term followed by one in three so far in 2017/18.
The 23-year-old, who arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2015 from PSV Eindhoven, regrets that Mourinho did not offer him enough minutes at a time he believes he was showing more “self-belief”.
“In the first season, I didn’t contribute enough,” he told French publication L’Équipe.
“But I really believe you need a year to succeed in the Premier League, it’s the fastest league in the world. The second, I had my self-belief back, but I didn’t play.
“It’s then that you look at yourself in the mirror and you ask yourself a lot of questions: ‘Am I not good enough?’ It was really tough.
“To stay positive, you have to be very strong mentally. That experience made me grow up and is useful to me today.”
Depay made 53 appearances, scored seven goals and provided six assists across all competitions for the Red Devils following his £26m move from the Netherlands.
His current side, Lyon, are fourth in the French top flight after three games after securing two wins and a 3-3 draw against Bordeaux on Saturday.
On top of his goal, the United reject has created provided two assists from his three chances created in league action this season, but his take-on success rate stands at just 29%.
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