"It's something I always carry with me, it's there and I don't forget it, it makes me see things differently. Football is important, but it's not the most important thing. There are things in life beyond football," said the footballer to "De Telegraaf," the most widely read paid newspaper in the Netherlands.
The interview was conducted last week during Ajax's pre-season in Austria, but the player gave the green light for it to be published this Thursday, the newspaper explained.
Blind, 30, has an implanted ICD due to a heart problem detected at the end of last year, after he fell on the field during a Champions League match against Valencia.
Last Tuesday, the footballer collapsed again in the 79th minute, when he collapsed without any apparent reason. He was able to leave the field on his own and, according to his coach Erik ten Hag, the implanted ICD "went off."
However, the player has been removed from group training and is undergoing medical examinations to study the specific reasons for the incident.
"Life goes on. You go through a setback and you deal with it. Lessons are also learned for the future. This has been a wake-up call and we must listen to our body," he explained in reference to the fainting spell he suffered in the match against Valencia.
"If I'm well, I'll play. Otherwise, I'll follow the instructions of the medical staff. In the past, I've been stubborn, but I'll stop being stubborn," he said.
Blind came through Ajax's youth academy and signed for Manchester United in the 2014/15 season, where he played for four seasons. He returned to the Amsterdam side in the summer of 2018, where he has maintained consistency.
"After so many years on the field, it can become routine. Now I realize how happy I can be on the field, regardless of the level I play at," he said.