Former Manchester United first team coach Rene Meulensteen says he can see similarities between PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay and a young Cristiano Ronaldo, while stressing that the Portuguese had talents at Depay's age which the Dutchman still lacks.
Depay, who has been consistently mooted as a target for Meulensteen's old club, has earned comparisons with a young Ronaldo due to his superb performances for PSV and on the international stage with the Netherlands.
Meulensteen, who worked with Ronaldo at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, can see why Depay is being compared to the Portuguese. But he does feel Ronaldo was a more complete player at the same age.
The Dutchman told Voetbal International: "With the caveat that I have never worked with Memphis, I dare to think based on the competition that the 18-year-old Cristiano could do more than Memphis can now.
"They have very similar characteristics: explosiveness, strength, speed.
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"But what Cristiano had more of than Memphis does now, for example, is creativity.
"The only problem was that he had too many frills in his game. We had to help him unlearn that.
"Cristiano was also better than Memphis now in being two-footed.
"Memphis needs to develop his right foot. That was not the case with Cristiano."
Depay has hit an impressive 25 goals in 35 games in all competitions for PSV so far this season, in the process putting the Eindhoven-based club on course to win the Eredivisie title.
His contract with PSV runs until the summer of 2018.
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