The class of Khac Ngoc in the Song Lam Nghe An shirt

Those who have witnessed Khac Ngoc playing since he was a young player will certainly not be surprised by the personal technique and level of the player born in 1992. Although he has made waves in the youth playgrounds, Khac Ngoc is considered a late bloomer of theLam River Nghe Anwhen he first came to play for Team 1.

Promoted to Team 1 in 2012 under coach Huu Thang, but it took 4 seasons of getting used to the bench for Khac Ngoc to gain a place in the coach's tactical scheme. The reason why a talented midfielder like Khac Ngoc could not get a starting position was because at that time, the Nghe An team had too many outstanding and experienced midfielders.

Even when he was put on the field, Khac Ngoc was shouted at by Nghe An fans and asked to be replaced because of his complicated and incomplete handling. However, Khac Ngoc is still the same, that is the way of playing of a midfielder with natural talent for technique, creativity and a very unique style.

It was not until the 2016 season that Khac Ngoc found his place in the Song Lam Nghe An shirt, under coaches Quang Truong and Duc Thang. From V.League 2016 to V.League 2019, Khac Ngoc has always shouldered the Song Lam Nghe An midfield. It can be said that Khac Ngoc is one of the "late bloomers" but has been a bright gem of the Nghe An team in the past 10 years.

That is why in 2016, Khac Ngoc and goalkeeper Nguyen Manh were decided by the leadership of Song Lam Nghe An to extend their contracts for 2 years with a high salary when there was still 1 year left on the contract. However, he still sought new challenges and succeeded in the colors of The Cong Viettel and Thep Xanh Nam Dinh. Although he was at times the best central midfielder of V.League, and was noticed by coach Park Hang-seo many times, unfortunately he did not have the chance to wear the National Team shirt.

Returning to Song Lam Nghe An during a period when the Nghe An team was facing many difficulties, with important and heavy missions, Khac Ngoc once shared: "The young players of Song Lam Nghe An played quite well and were determined, but they still lacked confidence and experience". That's right, experience and confidence are what the players in their twenties still lack, just like him in the 20-21 year old version.

Along with Dinh Hoang and Van Khanh, Khac Ngoc is helping young players like Ba Quyen, Van Bach, Quang Tu, Quang Vinh, Xuan Tien grow up every day. Among them, the most progressive is still Quang Vinh, the player who is only 19 years old this year but is a pillar of the team. And the presence of Khac Ngoc has also helped Song Lam Nghe An show many signs of improvement in the decisive stage of V.League 2024/25.

Up to Round 18 of this season, Khac Ngoc has played 8 matches, including 6 starting matches, 544 minutes of playing time, this veteran midfielder has not only shown the difference on the field with the ability to observe, intercept, control the rhythm, regulate the play and create but also scored important goals. With his inherent technical qualities and experience, Khac Ngoc has scored 2 goals and 2 assists. If Khac Ngoc had returned earlier, Song Lam Nghe An would probably be in a different position.

According to statistics, Khac Ngoc is also the player with the most passes into the opponent's penalty area of ​​Song Lam Nghe An. On average, Khac Ngoc has 61 passes per match, with an accuracy rate of 84%, 8 passes into the opponent's penalty area. In 8 matches with Khac Ngoc, Song Lam Nghe An only lost 2 matches, helping the home team defeat Binh Duong, Hai Phong, Quy Nhon Binh Dinh and draw with Cong An Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong A Thanh Hoa right on the opponent's field when leading the score first.

The road ahead for Khac Ngoc and his teammates is still very difficult with 4 home matches and 4 away matches. Nghe An fans believe that the presence of players like Khac Ngoc will help the young players of Song Lam Nghe An to progress and become more confident. Just as the player himself expected when returning to his old home./.