Daley Blind Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 11 in |
Weight | 72 kg |
Date of Birth | March 9, 1990 |
Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
Spouse | Candy-rae Fleur |
Daley Blind is a Dutch professional soccer player who has represented, as a defender/midfielder, AFC Ajax (2008-2014, 2018-Present) in the Netherlands and Manchester United F.C. (2014-2018) in England. In 2010, he also spent a brief loan spell with the Dutch professional soccer club FC Groningen. With AFC Ajax, he won the Eredivisie (the top division of the Dutch professional soccer league system) title in the 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2021-22 seasons; and the KNVB Cup (the premier domestic knockout soccer competition in the Netherlands) in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons. He was included in the ‘Eredivisie Team of the Year’ in the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2018-19 seasons. With the club, Daley also won the Johan Cruyff Shield in 2013 and 2019. The trophy, also known as the Dutch Super Cup, is named after Dutch soccer legend Johan Cruyff. It is annually decided by a one-off match played between the winners of the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup. With Manchester United F.C., he won the FA Cup (the premier domestic knockout soccer competition in England) in the 2015–16 season, the EFL Cup (an annual knockout competition, similar to the FA Cup, that is open to clubs within the top 4 levels of the English soccer league system) in the 2016-17 season, and the FA Community Shield in 2016. The FA Community Shield is annually decided by a one-off match played between the winners of the Premier League (the top tier of the English soccer league system) and the FA Cup. With the club, Daley also won the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Europa League (the 2nd-tier club competition in European soccer, ranking below the UEFA Champions League) title in the 2016-17 season. He was included in the tournament’s ‘Squad of the Season’.
Born Name
Daley Blind
Nick Name
Daley
Sun Sign
Pisces
Born Place
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Residence
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Nationality
Occupation
Professional Soccer Player
Family
- Father – Danny Blind (Soccer Coach/Manager, Professional Soccer Player (Retired), 5-time Eredivisie Champion, UEFA Champions League Winner in 1995)
- Mother – Yvonne Blind
- Siblings – Zola Blind (Older Sister), Frenkie Blind (Younger Sister)
Shirt Number
- 5, 8, 6, 17 – Netherlands
- 39, 17 – AFC Ajax
- 18 – FC Groningen
- 17, 15 – Manchester United F.C.
Playing Position
Defender, Midfielder
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 11 in or 180.5 cm
Weight
72 kg or 158.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Daley has dated –
- Candy-rae Fleur (2011-Present) – Daley began dating a model and professional dancer named Candy-rae Fleur in January 2011 and the couple got married in June 2019. They have 2 children together – a son named Lowen Dace Blind (b. October 2019) and a daughter named Lemae Lourdes Fiore Blind (b. February 2021).
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Dutch descent.
Hair Color
Light Brown
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Receding hairline
- Affable smile
- Sports a rugged beard
Daley Blind Facts
- Daley started his youth career in 1995 when, as a 5-year-old, he joined the youth team of a local club called Amsterdamsche FC. About 3 years later, in 1998, he was recruited by the famed Ajax Youth Academy based in Amsterdam. The organization manages youth teams (ages 7-18) and serves as the feeder line for AFC Ajax, one of the Netherlands’ ‘Big 3’ soccer clubs (the others being PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord).
- He stayed in that system until 2008 when he was promoted to the club’s senior team. For his performances in the 2012-13 season, he won the ‘AFC Ajax Player of the Year’ award.
- At the international level, Daley represented the Netherlands at the under-15, under-16, under-17, under-19, and under-21 tiers before making his senior national debut in February 2013. As of December 2022, he had earned 99 caps for the Dutch senior national team.
- He was a member of the Dutch squad that had finished in 3rd place at the 2014 edition of the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup. Daley scored his first senior-level international goal for the Netherlands in that tournament – the 2nd goal of a 3-0 win over hosts Brazil in the 3rd place play-off match.
- In 2014, for his performances in the 2013-14 season, Daley won the ‘Dutch Footballer of the Year’ award. The award is determined by a poll of Dutch professional soccer players plying their trade in the top 2 divisions of the Dutch soccer league system.
- Daley’s 2nd senior-level international goal for the Netherlands came in November 2014, in a friendly match against Mexico. He then had to wait for more than 8 years to score his next (3rd) goal – the 2nd goal of a 3-1 win over the United States in the pre-quarterfinal stage of the 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup.
- With the Netherlands, he reached the final of the 2018-19 edition of the UEFA Nations League, the inaugural season of a continental competition that involves the men’s national teams of the 55 members of the UEFA. Daley was included in the ‘Team of the Tournament’ that was selected from among those players who participated in the semi-finals, the 3rd place play-off match, and the final of the tournament.
- In December 2019, he was diagnosed with myocarditis (part of a group of diseases that affect the heart muscle). He was later fitted with an implantable device that can perform defibrillation (delivery of a dose of electric current to the heart that can reverse irregularities in the heartbeat), cardioversion (conversion of an abnormally fast heart rate to a normal rhythm), and pacing of the heart.
Featured Image by Daley Blind / Instagram