"He can completely destroy an opponent" - Former Manchester United defender Daley Blind opens up on his time under Jose Mourinho

Nearly four years after leaving Manchester United for Ajax, Daley Blind recently got candid in an interview and opened up about his opinion of former boss Jose Mourinho. Blind also explained why he sought to leave the Red Devils when he did.

Blind joined Manchester United in 2014 when he was signed by the then manager, Louis van Gaal, from Ajax for £13.8 million. In the four seasons he spent at the club, the Dutchman made 141 appearances across competitions and won four major trophies, including the UEFA Europa League and the FA Cup.

Of his four years as a Red Devil, the first two were spent under Louis van Gaal, while the latter two were under the managerial leadership of Jose Mourinho. Notably, during Mourinho's second season at the club, Blind only made 17 appearances across competitions as he fell down the pecking order. As he grew disillusioned and unhappy that season, Blind eventually decided to leave and return to the Netherlands to rejoin Ajax once the season ended.

Speaking in a recent interview with Bij Andy in de Auto (via United in Focus), Blind shed some light on his decision to leave the Old Trafford-based club and said:

“I was a bit dubious at Manchester United. I could stay, but it was a bit hopeless in the second year under Mourinho.

“I wanted something different and I wanted to play. I preferred to go home. I was also a bit tired of traveling. We had to stay in a hotel for every match and I was kind of done with that.”

While one can't be blamed for imagining that Blind may harbor contempt for Mourinho, under whom his Premier League career came to a halt, the Dutchman surprisingly only had good things to say about his former boss.

Delving into his experience under Jose Mourinho, Blind said:

“Mourinho was completely different from what you know as a Dutch footballer. He is so performance oriented and tactical.

“It was defensive, but he can read matches in advance like that. He can completely destroy an opponent by putting down the tactics. I thought it was great to experience that.”

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Daley Blind has won 3 league titles with Ajax under Erik ten Hag after leaving Manchester United

Daley Blind has won six major titles at Ajax under Erik ten Hag

Daley Blind finds himself in a unique position wherein he's the only player to have played for Manchester United and have worked with their soon-to-be new manager, Erik ten Hag.

Following his departure from the Premier League giants, Blind returned to his former club Ajax to work with Erik ten Hag - who is set to become Manchester United's new manager next season onwards.

Impressively, Blind has won three Eridivisie titles under Ten Hag in the four years since his return to the Dutch club.