No player in the Netherlands' World Cup squad has racked up more caps than defender Daley Blind.
The Ajax veteran has been a fixture in the Dutch side since making his national team debut in 2013. In an ever-changing side, Blind has been a constant, filling in as a centre-back, left-back and holding midfielder at different points in his Oranje career.
Blind got himself on the scoresheet last Saturday, netting the second goal in a 3-1 win against the USA to book his country's World Cup quarterfinal spot against Argentina. It was just his third-ever goal for the Dutch.
The Netherlands make it two!
In the final seconds of the first half, Daley Blind makes it 2-0 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/pZThbgnKUK
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 3, 2022
In a side bursting with attacking talent, Blind's positioning and dogged defending has made him one of coach Louis van Gaal's favourite pieces.
That didn't always seem likely, though. Because, if not for the advent of medical technology, Blind's career could have very much been over.
MORE: World Cup quarterfinals: Final eight in Qatar taking shape
With that, here's what you need to know about Blind, one of the Netherlands' senior-most leaders who wears a pacemaker when he plays.
Who is Daley Blind?
Born and raised in the shadow of Ajax's booming metropolis of a facility, football swirls in Blind's DNA. He came up in the De Toekomst training academy, quickly emerging as a sort of jack-of-all-trades midfielder for the future.
Blind was central to Ajax's league-winning sides of the early 2010s, slotting into a lineup that would become world-renowned for its international talent.
In a side featuring Christian Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, Blind was the synapse linking all of it together. He was recognised as such, earning the Dutch Footballer of the Year award in 2014.
Blind turned his Ajax success into a move to Manchester United and played a pivotal, if understated, role as the Red Devils captured three major trophies during his time there.
He was given a hero's welcome on his return to Johan Cruyff Stadium. Blind made 57 appearances during Ajax's famous 2018/19 campaign, one that saw them make a miraculous run to the UEFA Champions League semifinals. He now serves as Ajax's vice-captain, occasionally supplanting Dusan Tadic for the role when the Serbian playmaker isn't on the pitch.
Who is Daley Blind's father?
Blind is one of Dutch football's famous last names, largely due to the success of Daley's famous father, Danny.
Danny Blind is a storied figure in the Dutch game, turning out over 350 times for Ajax, while earning 42 career senior caps for Netherlands.
The elder Blind followed up his masterful playing career with a fairly successful coaching one, helming Ajax and Netherlands at different points during his career.
He is currently Van Gaal's right-hand man for the Netherlands, one of a few former national team players to make the grade on Van Gaal's staff.
MORE: World Cup top scorer tracker 2022
Daley Blind's pacemaker
In 2019, Blind suffered a dizzying spell while playing in the UEFA Champions League with Ajax. Medical tests revealed that he had inflammation of the heart muscle, better known as myocarditis.
Blind's condition causes him to have an irregular heartbeat. To counteract that, he was fitted with a pacemaker, one he wears constantly and during every game.
Blind's pacemaker suffered a malfunction during a preseason friendly in 2020, causing him to collapse. However, that issue was described as a one-off incident, and he hasn't had any issues with the machinery since.
Eriksen, Blind's former teammate, started wearing a similar device after collapsing on the pitch during the 2020 European Championships.
Speaking immediately after Eriksen's collapse at the Euro 2020 finals, Blind reflected that it had made him question his own ability to play on.
"It had a huge impact on me, never mind the fact that I know Christian well as a friend," he said.
"The situation for him is terrible. Of course, I have also experienced a few things in that area, so that I had to overcome a mental hurdle to play."
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