Football
Arindam Rej, Man United Correspondent 8y

Memphis Depay relishing Manchester United's derby vs. City in China

Manchester United winger Memphis Depay has said that playing Manchester City in China "could be like a home game for us."

The first Manchester derby to take place outside the United Kingdom will happen on July 25 in Beijing.

At the time of announcing the game, United said that there are 107 million followers of the club in China, which is more than anywhere else in the world.

The Dutchman told United's official website: "The rivalry is very big against City and there is always a good atmosphere when you win those matches. We know we will have a lot of supporters there so we have to win and it could be like a home game for us."

United visited the United States for a preseason tour last year, which opened Depay's eyes to the popularity of the club worldwide.

Depay said: "We had a lot of support in America on our last tour. I never thought it would be that big and that we would have so many supporters all over the world. This club has a big impact everywhere."

Jose Mourinho's men will play another game in China, facing Borussia Dortmund, three days before the City game in Shanghai.

Depay added: "Dortmund have a really strong team and are difficult to beat. It's pre-season so we will be working on our shape and how we want to play and I'm looking forward to it.

"I think it will help to play strong teams. We can see how strong we are, at that point, which is always good to know."

^ Back to Top ^