Ajax defender Daley Blind makes first appearance after heart surgery in Dutch Cup win over Vitesse Arnhem

Ajax Amsterdam defender Daley Blind returned to action for the first time since undergoing a heart operation by making a substitute appearance in Wednesday’s 3-0 Dutch Cup win over Vitesse Arnhem. [caption id=“attachment_8037081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Daley Blind returned to action for the first time since undergoing a heart operation. Twitter @AFCAjax[/caption] Blind was diagnosed with heart muscle inflammation after suffering from dizziness in a Champions League game against Valencia in December. The 29-year-old Dutchman was fitted with a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which sends electrical pulses to regulate abnormal heart rhythms, and he made a surprise return to first-team training last week. “I am really happy to be back on the pitch,” Blind, who came off the bench in the 77th minute, told Fox Sports Netherlands. “I had a little bit of tension beforehand because you don’t know how it will go. “The doctor really needed to hold me back and step on the brakes because I wanted to get back ASAP. I wasn’t scared at all, I wanted to get back on the pitch as fast as possible," he added.