Jaap Stam hails Daley Blind’s “quality” first season at Manchester United

Manchester United hero Jaap Stam has hailed fellow Dutchman Daley Blind after his first season at Old Trafford and admits he always knew the 25-year-old would succeed at the club, as per the club’s official website.

The Dutch international joined Manchester United in the summer of 2014 shortly after the World Cup in Brazil, where he displayed his versatility and operated at left wing-back for the Oranje under then manager Louis van Gaal.

Blind, who made the move from Ajax, had an indifferent opening season in the north-west under Van Gaal – the ex-Bayern coach signed him up shortly after taking over at Old Trafford – but Manchester United fans will have been pleased overall with his contribution.

The 25-year-old suffered a knee injury against Latvia back in November and missed nine consecutive league games due to it, which disrupted his first campaign at the club.

However, he managed to recover well from that setback and was a key player for the Red Devils as they embarked on a crucial six-match winning streak, during which Blind was deputising for Luke Shaw at left-back.

Stam said: “I knew what he could do, of course, because last season [2013/14], I was an assistant to Frank de Boer with the first team when he was playing in Holland.

“He played as a defensive midfielder and also as a defender – he did well, but you cannot compare the Premier League to our league. It’s totally different. Nevertheless, he’s a quality player and, tactically, he’s very strong.

“He’s got quick feet and he’s a great passer of the ball, and I think it’s great for the manager and the team that United have got a player like him in the squad because he can play in more than one position.”

Blind had an 88% pass accuracy in the league last season

Blind missed just one of the last 17 league games for Manchester United and was hugely impressive at full-back, as the Red Devils finished fourth and reclaimed their Champions League status.