Eljero Elia says he had urged Memphis Depay to sign for Tottenham over Manchester United

Dutchman Eljero Elia has revealed that he had warned Memphis Depay that signing for a club of the size of Manchester United on his first move out of his homeland would not be a good option and that he would be much better off moving to a club such as Tottenham Hotspur and using them as a stepping stone.

Depay has been linked with a move to Everton in the summer after struggling to find game time under Jose Mourinho, making only four Premier League appearances this season.He signed for the Red Devils last season and has scored only two goals in 33 league appearances, which has put him way back in the pecking order.

Elia believes that a move to a comparatively smaller club like Tottenham would have afforded him more time on the pitch and allowed him to settle in a difficult league like that in England. Depay caught the eye in the 2014 Fifa World Cup, where his brilliant performance for the Dutch national team saw them progress to the semi-finals, where they lost to Argentina.

"I thought Memphis first had to make a stop, first choose a club like Tottenham Hotspur," the Feyenoord winger told Dutch publication Helden, as quoted by the Mirror. "United are so big, the pressure is so high. He had to immediately make an impact at such a club, while everyone would watch him. Memphis accepted my opinion, but said, 'I'll try to give my all and I'm confident that I can succeed there.'"

Tottenham have over the years blooded a lot of players who went on to sign for top teams, including Gareth Bale and Luka Modric in the recent past, who signed for Real Madrid. The north London club are above United in the league table, with Mourinho's team struggling to win games at home, having drawn four consecutive games at home thus far.