Daley Blind facts for kids
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Blind playing for Manchester United in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 9 March 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back, left-back, defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Girona | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Amsterdamsche FC | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2008 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2014 | Ajax | 102 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | → Groningen (loan) | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2018 | Manchester United | 90 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2023 | Ajax | 124 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Bayern Munich | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Girona | 51 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Netherlands U15 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Netherlands U16 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Netherlands U17 | 13 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Netherlands U19 | 16 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Netherlands U21 | 23 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2024 | Netherlands | 108 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Daley Blind (born 9 March 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer. He plays for the Spanish club Girona. Daley is a very versatile player. He can play as a left-back, a centre-back, or a defensive midfielder. His father, Danny Blind, was also a famous footballer for Ajax and managed the Netherlands national team.
Daley started his football journey in the youth teams at Ajax. After a short loan spell at Groningen, he became a key player for Ajax. He helped them win the Eredivisie league title four times in a row! In 2014, he moved to Manchester United in England for about £13.8 million. There, he won four big trophies, including the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League.
In 2018, Daley returned to Ajax. He won three more Eredivisie titles and the KNVB Cup. He then had a short time at Bayern Munich in Germany, where he won the Bundesliga. In 2023, he joined Girona in Spain. Daley also played for the Netherlands for many years, from 2013 to 2024. He played over 100 games for his country. He helped the Dutch team finish third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and also played in UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024.
Contents
Daley Blind's Club Career Journey
Starting at Ajax
Daley Blind began his football life at the Ajax youth academy in his hometown. This was the same club where his father, Danny Blind, became a football legend. Daley was a very promising young player. He was even made captain of the Ajax youth team in 2007. When he was 17, he signed his first professional contract with the club.
On 7 December 2008, Daley made his first appearance for the Ajax senior team. It was an away match against FC Volendam. He made an instant impact, helping to create the winning goal for Ajax. Soon after, he signed a new contract to stay with Ajax until 2013.
Loan to Groningen
In January 2010, Daley went on loan to Groningen for the rest of the season. During his time there, he mostly played as a right back. He almost joined Groningen permanently, but the move didn't happen.
Returning to Ajax and Winning Titles
After his loan, Daley returned to Ajax. He helped the team win two Eredivisie titles in a row in 2011 and 2012. The 2011 title was Ajax's 30th championship! At first, some fans were not sure about his performances. However, under the new coach Frank de Boer, Daley started to get more playing time. He became the first-choice left back for the 2012–13 season.
In April 2013, Ajax announced that Daley had extended his contract until 2016. On 5 May, he helped Ajax win their third Eredivisie title in a row. This was the club's 32nd national title. That same day, Daley was named the AFC Ajax Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season. He had a fantastic year playing as a left-back.
For the 2013–14 season, coach De Boer moved Daley to his natural position as a defensive central midfielder. Daley was named Dutch Footballer of the Year as Ajax won their fourth league title in a row.
Playing for Manchester United
On 30 August 2014, Manchester United agreed to sign Daley Blind. The transfer was completed on 1 September 2014.
Daley made his debut for Manchester United 13 days later. He played the whole game as United beat Queens Park Rangers 4–0. This was their first win of the season. He scored his first goal for the club on 20 October. It was a shot from 20 yards that helped United draw 2–2 against West Bromwich Albion.
In November, Daley got a knee injury while playing for the Netherlands. This kept him out of the Manchester United team for the rest of 2014. He returned to the team in January 2015. In February, he scored a goal in injury time to help United draw 1–1 against West Ham.
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Even though he had played as a defensive midfielder or left-back before, Daley started the next season as a centre-back. He played most of the season in this position. On 12 September 2015, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 win against Liverpool. He was also named man of the match for his great performance.
In the 2016–17 Premier League season, Daley started as a first-choice centre-back. Later, he played mostly as a left-back. He scored his first goal of the season on Boxing Day against Sunderland. He started the Europa League final against his old team Ajax, which Manchester United won 2–0.
Back to Ajax
On 17 July 2018, Daley Blind returned to Ajax. He signed a four-year deal. On 16 December 2018, Daley scored his first senior hat-trick. This was in an 8–0 league win against De Graafschap, and he was playing as a centre-back.
Daley faced a health challenge in 2019 when he was diagnosed with a heart condition called myocarditis. He had a special device fitted to help his heart. He later collapsed during a pre-season friendly in August 2020 but was able to return to playing football. On 27 December 2022, Daley and Ajax agreed to end his contract, and he left the club.
Short Spell at Bayern Munich
On 5 January 2023, Daley joined the German club Bayern Munich. He signed a contract until the end of that season. While there, he won the Bundesliga title.
Joining Girona
On 7 July 2023, Daley Blind joined the Spanish club Girona. He signed a two-year contract. He made his debut for Girona on 12 August 2023 in a 1–1 draw. On 3 January 2024, Daley scored his first goal for Girona in a 4–3 win against Atlético Madrid. This was Girona's first league win ever against Atlético. This result put Girona level on points with Real Madrid at the top of the league table halfway through the season.
Daley Blind's International Career
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Youth Teams
Daley was part of the Netherlands under-17 squad for the 2007 European Championships. He scored two goals against Iceland in one match. He also played for the under-21 team.
Senior National Team
Daley made his debut for the Netherlands senior team on 6 February 2013. He played as a starting left-back against Italy in a friendly match. The game ended in a 1–1 draw.
In June 2014, he was chosen for the Netherlands squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started as a left wing-back in the first match against Spain. He helped set up two goals as the Dutch team won 5–1. He scored his first goal for the Netherlands in a 3–0 win against Brazil in the third-place play-off.
Daley was also part of the Netherlands squad for the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals. He played in the semi-final win against England and the final loss to Portugal. He was also selected for the teams that played in UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first goal for the Netherlands in eight years during the 2022 World Cup.
On 24 March 2023, Daley played his 100th match for the Netherlands. This was during a Euro 2024 qualifying game against France. On 14 August 2024, it was announced that Daley Blind had retired from playing for the national team, having played 108 games.
Personal Life
Daley is the son of Danny Blind, a famous former Ajax player and Netherlands national team manager. Daley and his wife welcomed their son in October 2019.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 2008–09 | Eredivisie | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2011–12 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2012–13 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 2 | |||
| 2013–14 | 29 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |||
| 2014–15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 102 | 3 | 14 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 143 | 3 | |||
| Groningen (loan) | 2009–10 | Eredivisie | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Jong Ajax | 2009–10 | Beloften Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | Eerste Divisie | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Manchester United | 2014–15 | Premier League | 25 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | 35 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 56 | 2 | |||
| 2016–17 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| Total | 90 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 141 | 6 | ||
| Ajax | 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 34 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | 18 | 0 | — | 57 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 2 | |||
| 2022–23 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |||
| Total | 124 | 7 | 13 | 1 | — | 50 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 190 | 10 | |||
| Bayern Munich | 2022–23 | Bundesliga | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| Girona | 2023–24 | La Liga | 34 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 37 | 3 | |||
| 2024–25 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 51 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 60 | 3 | ||||
| Career total | 389 | 15 | 47 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 107 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 560 | 22 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 2013 | 8 | 0 |
| 2014 | 17 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 108 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Netherlands goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Blind goal.
| No. | Cap | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | 12 July 2014 | Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasília, Brazil |  Brazil |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup | |
| 2 | 24 | 12 November 2014 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Mexico |
2–3 | 2–3 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 98 | 3 December 2022 | Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar |  United States |
2–0 | 3–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
Honours and Awards
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22
- KNVB Cup: 2018–19, 2020–21
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2013, 2019
Manchester United
- FA Cup: 2015–16
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2016
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2022–23
Netherlands
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2014
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2018–19
Individual Awards
- Ajax Talent of the Future (Sjaak Swart Award): 2007–08
- Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 2012–13
- AFC Ajax Club of 100: 2013
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2014
- Eredivisie Team of the Year : 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19
- Amsterdam's Player of the Year (De Fanny): 2014
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016–17
- UEFA Nations League Finals Team of the Tournament: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Daley Blind para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
