Memphis Depay scored the goal that took him beyond Robin van Persie, thus making him the all-time leading scorer in Dutch football. It was the 51st time that he had scored for his country.
The Corinthians striker, who is 31, was able to level with Van Persie at 50 with a double act against Malta last June but had to wait a bit before he could claim the record on his own. After being unable to score against Poland earlier this week, Depay eventually netted the World Cup qualifier against Lithuania where he acrobatically turned Cody Gakpo’s cross into a goal to give Oranje the lead.
With the record, Depay adds more flame to a brilliant international career. Furthermore, during the Poland game, he equally accomplished the national record for the most assists shared with Wesley Sneijder, clearly indicating his influence on the field.
The striker was introduced into the team for the first time in 2013 during Louis van Gaal’s reign and he made his first goal at the 2014 World Cup with a long-distance shot against Australia. After Van Persie hung up his boots in 2017, Depay has been the most dominant player of the Dutch squad, scoring regularly and leading Oranje through tough times, as a result, he has developed significantly.
Memphis went on to set a new record a year later when he scored 17 goals in 2021. As a result of more than 100 caps and his latest accomplishment, Depay is now regarded as one of the greatest strikers of the Netherlands of all-time.
