Daley Blind left Old Trafford in 2018 to rejoin his former side Ajax, however has recently suggested he came close to a return to Manchester.
Former Manchester United defender Daley Blind appeared this week on the UTD podcast to discuss his time at the club.
Blind had previously worked with current United boss Erik ten Hag at Ajax. The 33-year-old admitted during his interview, that he was tempted to offer his services after he left Ajax in December.
After admitting his temptation, Blind said, “No [I didn’t call him],”. He continued, “To be honest, he has the same agent as me, so the connection is not that far away.
The defender ended up joining German side Bayern Munich instead, admitting he wasn’t a player the Red Devils needed.
“But yeah, he did not really need me at that moment. He [had] already bought some players in. [Lisandro] Martinez as well, in the same position, and I am not blaming him for that.”
Finally Blind revealed how grateful he is for ten Hag’s influence, “I am very thankful for the time [I had] with him. I learned a lot from him.”
Daley Blind’s United career
Blind was signed by Louis van Gaal in 2014 for £15m and made 141 appearances for the club.
A personal favourite of van Gaal who recently praised Blind as “a technically and tactically strong player with a great orientation and understanding of the game.”
The defender formed a formidable partnership with Chris Smalling, playing a key role in; the 2016 FA Cup triumph and the 2017 Europa League, starting both games.
Blind was an unlikely hero and fan favourite in a time of transition at United. His qualities were under appreciated, and wouldn’t look out of place in ten Hag’s United.
Brilliant on the ball and one of the smartest footballers to feature at the Theatre of Dreams, Blind paved the way for Lisandro Martinez to thrive as a little man in defence.
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