The Netherlands international has struggled since joining from PSV but a Dutch fitness expert believes the winger's introduction to the Premier League hasn't been managed well
Manchester United have been accused of overworking Memphis Depay and failing to acclimatise the winger to the Premier League.

The 21-year-old moved from PSV to Old Trafford last summer but has struggled to find form under Louis van Gaal this season.

Depay has not started a match since he was replaced at half-time in United’s 2-0 defeat to Stoke City on Boxing Day, but Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen, who has worked with the Netherlands national side, as well as South Korea and Russia under Guus Hiddink, insists the winger’s conditioning has been poorly managed.

”If you look at Memphis Depay, you can use an objective reference, in this case a metaphor, to explain his situation,” Verheijen told Squawka.

“Just imagine you are running on a treadmill and you are running for lets say five miles per hour and after 30 minutes you are exhausted, and then next week you are going to run on that same treadmill but now you’re going to run at 10 miles per hour. The speed goes up.

“What is going to happen to the 30 minutes? Well, the 30 minutes will become shorter because if you are exhausted after 30 minutes from running at five miles per hour, you will probably be exhausted after playing 15 or 20 minutes at 10 miles per hour. If the treadmill goes faster you will become exhausted sooner.

“There is a very clear correlation between the speed and duration: the volume. That is an objective reference, and based on this you can look at a player like Memphis Depay.

“He goes from PSV Eindhoven to Manchester United, so that means that the speed goes up. The speed of play and in training in the Dutch Eredivisie is lower than at Manchester United, in training and in the games in the Premier League. For Memphis Depay, the treadmill goes faster.

“That means that temporarily you have to reduce the volume for him so he has to train less and play less game minutes for his body to get used to the higher tempo and once he has caught up with the speed of actions then gradually, over time, you can increase the number of training sessions and game minutes all the way to team level.

“Then, after some months, his body will have caught up with playing football at a Premier League level. What should have been done with Memphis Depay and all other young players all around the world is to reduce the volume but in reality, these youngsters are just thrown in the deep and they will gradually become exhausted, their performance will drop and eventually they will get injured.

“People say, ‘well all young players get a set-back.’ No. All young players do not have to get a set-back. All young players should be treated in a much better way than educated coaches.”