Their third guest for the Ajax Podcast is Daley Blind. David the Host and his sidekick (and former teammate of Blind) Eyong Enoh talk to Daley about his breakthrough, social media and the exciting and beautiful period for Ajax that lies ahead.
There were also plenty of great memories to share. Blind, 30, briefly played with Enoh, four years Blind's senior, for Jong Ajax shortly after the Cameroonian's arrival. He learned a lot from him. "He's exactly the kind of player I wasn't. He would steal the ball and was a strong defender", says Blind in this episode of the Ajax Podcast. "In the youth squad at Ajax you always had the ball, then as you get older you learn much more without the ball, but this doesn't happen naturally."
Blind can't help smiling as he thinks back to Enoh's ferocity on the training ground. "When I saw Enoh was absolutely destroying all of us, I started thinking: how can I improve in that area?"
The impact of a World Cup
After his defining breakthrough with Ajax came the 2014 World Cup, where he and the Dutch national side made it all the way to the semi-finals. "They say a World Cup can change your career, and that certainly happened to me", Blind explains. "Everything just came together; I was fit and in good shape. It was life changing. I reached my highest level as a player so far. The Netherlands vs. Spain changed my life. Also the fact my father was the assistant made it a dream come true."
A new hierarchy and social media
Nowadays Blind is the DJ at the Ajax dressing room. When he first got picked for the first team, he still couldn't quite believe he had been chosen for the role. "At the start you're really shy, and you hang around the changing room with the other young players. It was very different to what it's like now. Now we have a young team and the young lads know each other, so they're not so shy anymore. The hierarchy is different from how it used to be."
Champions League corkers
‘'This is what makes you want to play for Ajax", says Blind about the UEFA Champions League draw. 'It's a difficult group: Atalanta are really tough opponents. FC Midtjylland have a good side and can cause a surprise. Liverpool is one of the best teams at the moment'.
Finally Blind has signed a personalized Daley Blind Ajax Scarf which you listeners will have a chance to win. Take a picture of yourself while you are listening to the Ajax Podcast and make sure to add the hashtag #AjaxPodcast. Enoh will pick the funniest, most unique picture as the winner. So take a picture and put it on Instagram or Twitter with #AjaxPodcast.
The broadcast is now only available on JUKE and the Ajax channels, and will be on all the other podcast apps too as of Monday afternoon.
(Ajax.nl)
