If you’re interested in a compelling father-son football story, the Blinds are a perfect example. It’s well-known that Daley is the son of Dutch football legend Danny Blind. This article delves deeper than Daley’s career stats, offering an in-depth look at his life off the pitch. It covers the challenges he faced, such as being diagnosed with myocarditis and having an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator fitted. We explore the life story of the Dutch baller, nicknamed “Scholletje Junior,” including his life before fame, family connections, and other off-pitch details. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Family Legacy to Personal Triumphs: Daley Blind’s Journey
Yes, everyone knows Blind has never been the fastest player, but his technical skill and keen understanding of the game have made him incredibly versatile and a key player for any team. Despite his achievements, many fans are not familiar with Daley Blind’s full biography, which is quite fascinating. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Daley Blind Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, Daley Blind was born on the 9th day of March, the year 1990, in the Netherlands’s capital, Amsterdam. He was born to his mother, Yvonne Blind and father, Danny Blind.
Our Daley Blind childhood story is a story of a young and intelligent boy who, upon birth, was observed to be genetically blessed with extraordinary football talent, all thanks to his dad.
His father, Danny, placed him in a school which gave him the opportunity to play competitive soccer during sports periods.
Blind started his career at Ajax’s youth academy, the same club where his father, Danny, made his name as a professional. Despite his dad’s influence, Daley still had a steely determination to make his dreams come true, and his ambitions were not just a passing fancy. Pictured below, they reminded us of Lilian Thuram and his son, Marcus.
Young Daley Blind enjoyed the company of his footballing Dad when he was a child.
In his words…
“My dad, who is also my best friend used to take me out on important matches as his personal mascot during his playing days.
He never bought me toys or games when I was younger, just a football. I’m entirely grateful for everything he did.
He always pushed me. Without him, I wouldn’t have this incredible journey that I’m on so far.’
Daley Blind Biography – Career in Summary:
Between the ages of 5 and 8 (1995-1998), Blind played for AFC (Amsterdamsche Football Club), which gave him a good foundation in soccer.
At the academy, he bonded well with youth coach Edwin Tielman, a father figure to him. In order to keep a close eye on his son, Danny decided to enrol his son at Ajax Academy, where he was a trainer.
Being the son of Ajax and Netherlands legend Danny Blind cannot be easy on any young footballer.
High expectations have always followed Daley Blind around, and early on in his career, it appeared he might struggle to meet them.
Influenced by his dad, Blind began a successful career at Ajax, rising through the youth ranks to secure a spot on the senior team. During this time, his dad also advanced to become a board member of the club.
As a utility player, Blind played left-back, left wing-back, centre-back and defensive midfield. He saw himself winning four consecutive Eredivisie titles with the club.
Through strong football connections in his family, his dad later became the assistant coach of the Netherlands.
This also coincides with the time Daley Blind won the team player of the year for Ajax in 2013, hence getting a call from Louis van Gaal for national team duty.
It was just days before the 2014 World Cup that his father’s friend Louis van Gaal got his Manchester United job.
Blind Snr was the United boss’ assistant coach during the World Cup in Brazil and was sure to have had a role in his son’s move.
Influenced by his father’s legacy at Ajax and his pivotal roles in football, Daley Blind’s journey from youth ranks to Manchester United interweaves family ties, talent, and timely connections.
Just a year after the tournament, precisely on the 30th of August 2014, Manchester United reached an agreement to sign Blind.
Ajax stars who came after him – for example, the likes of Perr Schuurs (CB), Sven Botman (CB), Matthijs de Ligt, etc will always reference the works of Daley. The rest, as they say, is now history.Â
Who is Candy-Rae Fleur?
Football is a golden tree, a place where millions of youth have found shade and love.Â
Behind every great man, there is a great son and in that son exists a beautiful, glamorous lady. Blind has been in a long-term relationship with his lookalike girlfriend, Candy-Rae Fleur.
Meet Daley Blind and Candy-Rae Fleur.
Candy-Rae is a model and dancer with a strong resume, which includes dancing with Robin Thicke at the MTV EMA’s.
She’s from Amsterdam and a graduate of Hermann Wesselink College (2007 graduating set). As her LinkedIn page puts it, she currently works as a broadcast media professional.
It is not known how long the pair have been together, but they look seriously loved up in the picture below.
Candy-Rae: Dancer, model, and media professional from Amsterdam, seen radiantly in love.
As Daley Blind puts it; “I see myself as a regular guy, and us, a normal couple.
I think it is sometimes difficult for my girlfriend Candy-Rae, because dating a footballer, which literary means having lots of attention.
The love of my life gives me great support, and I also try to give the same to her.”
More on Candy-Rae Fleur:
Despite the normal way of hiding herself from the limelight, Candy-Rae Feur has once revealed her extroverted nature by bringing her dancing crew to support her boyfriend.
Having a face cap called “Team Blind” was a new way to show support for the Manchester United defender.
As pictured below, the group of beautiful blondes and brunettes were all seen with the fashion accessory “Team Blind snapback caps”, which they used to grab the attention of fans as they walked into the stadium.
Candy-Rae loves fashion, but she won’t go all dolled up to matches. She just makes sure she wears something red and, for national support, something orange, as seen below.
Despite being a footballer’s girlfriend, Candy Rae does not like to be referred to as a WAG. She once said:
“I am not a WAG, I don’t feel like a player’s girlfriend. It is the other way round! He is a dancer’s man!”
Fleur added: “It’s uncalled for at United, every wife or girlfriend will get photographed wherever they go.
When we were at Ajax and at times we all went out, there was never a photographer around.
Daley Blind Biography – Personal Life:
Blind is very friendly, and he often finds himself in the company of very different people. He is are selfless, always willing to help others without hoping to get anything back. He is very compassionate and extremely faithful to his girlfriend, Candy-Rae Fleur.
Personal Strengths:Â He is compassionate, artistic, intuitive, gentle, wise and very musical thanks to his girlfriend Candy-Rae Fleur.
Personal Weaknesses:Â He could be fearful, overly trusting, sad and has the desire to escape reality.
What Daley Blind Likes:Â Being alone with Candy-Rae Fleur, sleeping, music and romance with her.
What Daley Blind dislikes: People who claim they know-it-all-all, being criticized, the past coming back to haunt him and cruelty of any kind.
Daley Blind Family Life:
Daley Blind comes from a rich or upper-class family background. In the Blind house, it is football that matters most.
Yet the house is not full of football shirts as they are more females than males. Now we introduce you to members of the Daley Blind Family.
Daley Blind’s Mother:
The mother of Daley Blind, Yvonne Blind, is pictured below with her husband below.
Yvonne Blind and her husband, Danny. They are the parents of Delay Blind.
Yvonne Blind is known as someone who assisted her son, Daley in moving into Manchester United.
The black page of Yvonne Blind defines a moment when she and her husband were both involved in a traffic accident in 2006.
The other person involved in the accident (the victim) had to be cut out of the car and transported to the hospital.
Yvonne’s husband stated that regret: “The fact that I have been sitting behind the wheel with alcohol is inexcusable and should never have happened.
 I am deeply ashamed and realize that someone in my position should have taken responsibility. That this has not happened makes the situation all the more painful.”
About Daley Blind’s Grandparents:
Daley Blind’s grandfather hails from Hellevoetssluis. He is a well-known personality in the Zeeland Dutch province thanks to his distinguished career in the power industry.
Daley Blind’s grandmother has her roots in Vlissingse, a municipality in South-West Netherlands. He has an uncle whom he once painfully witnessed his death in a moped accident.
About Daley Blind’s Sisters:
Daley Blind has two amazing sisters in the name; Zola and Frenkie Blind.
From their photos, it appears that Zola is older than her brother, Frenkie, who seems much younger. Zola is also very supportive of her younger brother.
About Daley Blind’s Father:
Soccer has always been a family affair for the Blind family, thanks to the head of the household. Danny Blind began his professional career as a right defender.
He debuted on 29 August 1979 in professional football at Sparta. In July 1986, Blind went to Ajax, thanks to technical director Johan Cruijff.
Danny Blind’s illustrious career is marked by numerous accolades and victories. He won the Eredivisie titles in 1989-90, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, and 1997-98. His success in domestic cups includes victories in the KNVB Cup in 1987, 1993, 1998, and 1999, as well as the Johan Cruyff Shield in 1993 and 1994. On the international stage, Blind triumphed in the UEFA Champions League in 1995, secured the UEFA Cup in 1992, and lifted the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987. Additionally, he won the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup in 1995.
He played a total of 537 games in the Dutch league and scored 45 times. Danny had a perfect resemblance with his son Daley during his playing days.
Danny managed the Eredivisie champions, Ajax, in 2005 before taking up a role with the Dutch national side under Van Gaal in 2012.
In 2017, Danny Blind was dismissed as the national team assistant coach due to poor results. Born in East Souburg, he played for Sparta Rotterdam, Ajax, and the Dutch national football team.
At Ajax, he got so popular that the club board of directors granted him a job as a trainer and later made him a board member.
Danny Blind had a remarkable career as a defender for the Netherlands. He holds the unique distinction of being the only Dutch soccer player to have won every international club competition recognized by UEFA and FIFA.
In the 2023-2024 La Liga season, Danny emerged as a key figure for the dark horse, Girona FC, which impressively led the La Liga standings for several months. This formidable team included standout talents such as Eric Garcia, Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk, and Savio, commonly known as Savinho.
Daley Blind Bio – Loved by Theresa Smalling:
Chris Smalling once tweeted about his mother liking Daley Blind more than him. While fans attribute her likeness to Daley due to Chris Smalling’s poor performance, one particular fan’s comment caused some outrage, as seen in the tweet below.
Career Strengths:
As a defensive midfielder, Blind likes to break up play and quickly set up new attacks after winning possession.
Again, as a left-back, he seems to know exactly when to surge forward and when to stay back. Key in all of this is Blind’s tactical awareness and intelligence.
As far as his strength is concerned, it’s about taking the right action at the right time.
Career Weaknesses:
It could be argued that Daley Blind is a defensive midfielder who is not so physically strong and not able to launch a good tackle, especially against powerful strikers.
Upon observing him, one would conclude that he looks a little too weak. As a full-back, his lack of pace could pose a problem.
Final Notes:
We strive for accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver you Dutch Football Stories. Surely, the Life History of Xavi Simons and Kenneth Taylor will excite you. Thanks for reading our Daley Blind Childhood Story, plus untold biography facts. If you see something that doesn’t look right in this article, please leave a comment or contact us!
