Blind made his debut for Ajax in an away match against FC Volendam on December 7, 2008. Blind had an early impact by forcing a corner kick past a Volendam defender, from which Ajax's Jan Vertonghen scored the game-winning goal. On December 19, 2008, he signed a contract extension with Ajax that kept him with the team until June 30, 2013.
He played 51 matches for the club and won two titles: the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League and the 2012–13 Johan Cruyff Shield. Blind also appeared in three matches as the Netherlands won the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was named man of the match three times during his time at the club.
After making his debut at age 17, Blind went on to become one of the most important players for Ajax, contributing with 12 goals in all competitions. He moved to Manchester United in July 2014 for €5 million ($6.3 million).
Blind made his United debut on August 4, 2015, in a 0–1 loss to Liverpool at Old Trafford. He scored his first goal for the club on September 23, 2015, in a 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. Blind ended his first season at Man United with five appearances and one goal.
He returned from injury in January 2016 and made four more appearances that year as United finished fourth in the Premier League.
Left Daley Blind (born 9 March 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder, left back, or center back for Ajax and the Netherlands national team.
| Netherlands | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2019 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 |
| 2021 | 8 | 0 |
Despite the lesser level of competition in the Eredivisie, Blind is unquestionably a better player now than he has ever been. The change has enabled him to discover the ideal position, which he has been looking for his whole career. That position is right-back.
Blind was born on 4 August 1989 in Heerenveen, the son of former professional footballer John van Blindt. His family lived in Genk during his childhood as his father played for Club Brugge when they were allowed into the European competitions. When he was nine years old, they returned to Heerenveen where his father joined FC Groningen.
He started playing football at the age of five for local side De Treffers and two years later he moved with his parents to FC Groningen. There he progressed through the youth ranks and made his first team debut at the age of 17. However, he only stayed with the club for one season before moving back to De Treffers.
After three more seasons with De Treffers, he returned to Groningen and signed his first professional contract with them. However, he didn't make an appearance for their first team and instead decided to move abroad, signing with Portuguese Liga de Honra side Moreirense. There he became a regular starter and helped them win the 2012–13 Primeira Liga title.
Huntelaar made his Ajax debut after the winter break, scoring his first goal for the club against previous club Heerenveen in a KNVB Cup fixture on February 5, 2006. Huntelaar scored nine goals in seven games for Ajax in February, including a UEFA Champions League debut against Serie A club Inter Milan. The following month, he added another three goals in three matches from the start position.
He ended the season with 11 goals in all competitions and was named Young Player of the Year at the Eredivisie awards ceremony. Huntelaar signed a new contract with Ajax in June 2007, keeping him at the club until 2013.
After one season away from football, Huntelaar returned to Ajax in July 2008. He played only five games during the 2008-09 season due to injuries, but started 2009-10 well by scoring in each of Ajax's opening two league fixtures. In total, he made 26 appearances and scored 12 goals for Ajax during the 2009-10 season.
In May 2010, it was announced that Huntelaar would be leaving Ajax at the end of the season. He moved to German club Schalke 04 for €15 million ($20 million).
Huntelaar made his Schalke 04 debut in the Bundesliga on August 31, 2010, coming on as a 68th minute substitute for Günter Stöger in a 1-0 win over Hannover 96.
Following the mid-season departure of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Vermaelen served as Ajax's captain for the balance of the 2008-09 season, mostly as a left-back. Vermaelen (left) played for Arsenal in 2010. He returned to Ajax in 2011 and was made captain by new manager Martin Jol.
Vermaelen is from Belgium and his first name means "thunderbolt" or "lightning".
He debuted on August 10, 2005 in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round match against FK Teplice at age 18. At the time, he was the youngest player ever to play for Ajax. He scored his first goal on September 7, 2005 in the Eredivisie match against NAC Breda. In that same game, he also provided an assist. Vermaelen ended up with 17 goals in 115 appearances during his one season with Ajax. He moved to Arsenal for £6 million ($9.5 million).
At Arsenal, he became a regular starter and was named Player of the Year at the end of the 2011-12 season. That year, he also helped Arsenal win the FA Cup by beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final. He is now considered one of the best fullbacks in the world.
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