Cong Vinh: 'I'll probably cry after I retire'

(Baonghean.vn) - After the Vietnamese national team finished the group stage of the 2016 AFF Cup with great success, striker Le Cong Vinh shared some touching thoughts about his nearly 20 years of playing football on his personal page.

“I love football very much and I think, after retiring, I will miss football a lot. I will probably cry. Right now, I want to play to the best of my ability. I want to be stronger, train and run every day. Because I love the matches and I love football very much…”, the striker born in 1985 shared this when making the decision to retire from the Vietnam National Team after the 2016 AFF Cup.

Cong Vinh experienced a very difficult childhood.

Contributing two crucial goals to the team's run to the semi-finals of the 2016 AFF Cup, Le Cong Vinh continued to assert himself as the top scorer for the national team. Returning to Ho Chi Minh City after three grueling group stage matches, Cong Vinh couldn't hide his emotions as he reflected on his journey and the day he would say goodbye to the Vietnamese national team was drawing near:

“Everyone has beautiful memories of their youth. My youth, when I was 12 years old, left home with only two sets of clothes and went to live with the SLNA youth team, then at 18, I joined the Vietnamese national team… Almost 20 years of eating, sleeping, suffering, and experiencing happiness with the round ball. Enough sweat and tears to grow and mature. There were times when the 'storm' came and I felt like I was going to collapse, but then I patiently and stubbornly stood up again.”

The "legend" of Vietnamese football shared: "Life is like a book, turning each page to fully understand it. But no matter how powerful, poor, or rich you are, no one can defeat time, so always cherish the moments you are alive, passionate, and in love, so that when they pass, you will have no regrets."

A man's life doesn't need anything extravagant. Simply knowing how to resolutely refuse to do wrong and learning to be an honest person is the greatest success in life. So that when he's old and his teeth fall out, his smile remains peaceful – that's enough. Just strive to live well and do good, and no matter how great the injustice, it will be rewarded accordingly. No matter what, tomorrow, the sun will still rise…”

Striker Le Cong Vinh shines on the football field.

Although expressing deep regret, Cong Vinh has every right to be satisfied with what he has achieved for himself and for Vietnamese football. By now, Le Cong Vinh has set a series of new records. He currently holds the record for the most appearances (83 matches) and the most goals scored (51 goals) for the Vietnamese national team. In the AFF Cup alone, Cong Vinh has also become the Vietnamese player with the most goals (15 goals), surpassing Huynh Duc's record (14 goals). But it seems Cong Vinh no longer cares about this, because the time when he officially retires from the national team is not far off.

After retiring from international football and giving opportunities to younger players, it's highly likely that Cong Vinh will continue working in the football field, but certainly in a different role. Currently, he is still a part-time student at Hanoi Law University. Cong Vinh is a shrewd businessman, and it wouldn't be surprising if, in four years' time, the striker from Nghe An became a football agent or manager.

Trung Kien