Manchester United: Daley Blind credits Premier League for helping him improve as a footballer

Manchester United midfielder Daley Blind has admitted that the pace and intensity of the Premier League has made him a better player and has allowed him to take that experience to his national team.

The Dutchman arrived from Ajax last summer following a successful World Cup with the Netherlands team and has been a key player for Louis van Gaal over the course of the season thus far.

The 25-year-old did struggle with some injury problems late last year, but has since returned and been a vital cog for United as they fight Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham for a place in next season's Champions League.

The Red Devils manager is a big admirer of the former Ajax star and has used him in multiple positions during the course of the season. Primarily a defensive midfielder, Blind can also operate as a left-back and successfully occupied that position in United's recent victories over Tottenham and Liverpool.

The Dutch international believes that the pace of the league in England has made him improve his game and is confident that it will be beneficial when he plays for Netherlands in the future.

"In the Premier League, you have to grow," Blind said, as quoted by the Mirror.

"I noticed that the rhythm of the game is much higher. The games just went much faster than in the Netherlands. That comes in handy for me in the Dutch national team, and also in my career," the United midfielder explained.

"When you develop yourself, you can become a more complete player and that's what I want - to get better every day, to learn little things; and these should naturally be reflected in the game," Blind concluded.