August 14, (THEWILL) – Daley Blind, former Manchester United and Bayern Munich defender, has announced his retirement from international football. The 34-year-old Dutch player made 108 appearances for the Netherlands national team.
Blind cited the rise of a new generation of players and discussions with the national manager as reasons for his decision. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent his country, calling it “the greatest thing a player can achieve”.
Throughout his club career, Blind played for Ajax, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and currently Girona in La Liga. He won multiple league titles with Ajax and Bayern Munich and earned FA Cup and UEFA Europa League victories with Man Utd.
Blind was part of the Dutch squads that reached the 2014 World Cup semi-finals and 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. His international career began in 2013 with a friendly against Italy and concluded at Euro 2024 in a match against Romania.
In 2019, Blind was diagnosed with a heart condition but continued playing after having a defibrillator fitted. He reflected on his international career, stating: “For 11 years, I have done everything I could to keep wearing that beautiful Oranje shirt. It has given me so much, so many beautiful moments. I cherish them.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
