Jose Mourinho has praised the professionalism of Memphis Depay and backed the forward to learn from his failed spell at Manchester United with greater maturity.
Memphis, 27, lasted just 18 months at United after joining from PSV Eindhoven and was sold by Mourinho halfway into the Portuguese manager's first season at Old Trafford.
After leaving the Dutch forward impressed at French club Lyon and shone for his country during their European Championship campaign this summer with a rejuvenated reputation which has earned him a free transfer to Barcelona.
Speaking about his time working with Memphis former United manager Mourinho explained why things never worked out in Manchester before backing him to be a success in Catalonia.
"He is a really good professional. People can look at him and probably think he’s a party boy," Mourinho told talkSPORT. "I think he got this maturity in Lyon which is sometimes what players need.
"Sometimes they can go too early to the biggest clubs where they are not ready to cope with it. Where they are not ready to understand that in the biggest clubs there are internal competition, that you can not play all the time. That there are fantastic players to fight with you for a position. They can lose a little sense of reality and become a bit childish. Which is what happened.
"So when he decided to go to Lyon it was a great move for him and now he goes to Barcelona with maturity, with a good football age and I believe the Barcelona culture of football will help him also to level up in this important part of his career. But good memories of him and I repeat - he was a good professional."
