DALEY BLIND has backed a new-look Ajax to rise to the occasion in the Champions League ahead of their Group A opener with Rangers.
The Dutch giants are the top seeds in an enticing section that also includes Liverpool and Napoli and have the chance to get off to a winning start on home soil against Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side.
Boss Alfred Schreuder was appointed in the summer after Erik ten Hag left the club to become the new manager of Manchester United.
And top talents Lisandro Martinez and Antony would follow him to Old Trafford as Ajax lost the services of two stalwarts of the team.
The deal that saw Antony join the Red Devils was worth around £85million and the sales of Sebastien Haller and Ryan Gravenberch, to Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively, contributed to transfer income of around £200million this summer.
But significant sums were also invested in the squad as Steven Bergwijn arrived from Tottenham Hotspur and Calvin Bassey left Rangers in a record-breaking deal that saw Rangers bank £20million for the Nigerian internationalist.
Ajax sit top of the Eredivisie with a perfect record after their first five league fixtures and captain Blind has been encouraged by the way in which the reshaped side have hit the ground running this term.
Blind said: “Is it something to be proud of? Of course it is. It is exciting to be a part of the Champions League.
“To begin, I am looking forward to the game, we have had a lot of time to get ready.
“With regards to the game itself, we will have to see how it goes on the pitch.
“Many new players have come into the club, as well as those who have left.
“We always believe that those coming in are ready to do a job for the club.
“The new players are beginning to find their feet and we are beginning to play well.
“We are doing well in the league, we are keeping clean sheets and we are scoring goals.
“But that doesn’t tell us anything about tomorrow because this is the Champions League and it’s another level.
“Maybe away from home the teams want to play more, perhaps we play better away. But Rangers are a team who like to press high.
“There have been big changes here, but the players are adapting well to the Ajax system. You can see we are going in the right direction.”
