Daley Blind says Angel Di Maria reminds him of Arjen Robben

Daley Blind said Angel Di Maria reminds him of Arjen Robben and hailed Manchester United's record signing for his outstanding start at Old Trafford.

The midfielder was a team-mate of Robben's as the Bayern Munich winger helped Holland finish third in this summer's World Cup.

Now he has team up with Di Maria for the former Premier League champions as the former Real Madrid man has scored three goals and created three more in his last four appearances.

"He is quite similar but they have their own capacities and do their own things a lot," Blind said. "You can maybe see it in that way."

Di Maria cost United a British record fee of 57.9 million pounds and Blind, who arrived from Ajax at the end of the transfer window, is a fan of the No. 7.

"He's amazing," he added. "He is an excellent player. He can score goals, make assists, he can keep the ball very well.

I think I am very pleased we have him in our team. He is very important to us. We have to do it with everyone though, as a team, everyone that is in the selection we have to fight for each other."

 

Daley Blind says he has enjoyed his time at Manchester United with the 'amazing' Angel Di Maria.

United have won three of their last four games and Blind, who played for manager Louis van Gaal in the Holland team, believes they are beginning to understand his philosophy.

"I think so," he said. "I think the players like to work with him. Everyone is picking it up very. Training is very hard and very serious and we improve every day and you could see that in the first half. We have seen that in the first half but now we have to see it over 90 minutes. The play is better though."

Blind's father Danny also played for Van Gaal, captaining his Ajax team when they won the Champions League in 1995.

And the United manager described the elder Blind as the best captain he had worked with during his 23-year managerial career.

Now the 24-year-old wants to follow his father's example, saying: "I hope I become a bit of a leader like he was, but I am still young.

I am still improving and this is a new era for me, coming to a new area. But I can be that [a leader]. I have to learn it and have to keep it up but I am learning every day, including about being a leader."