Defender Pham Manh Hung: It's never too late for change!

This news didn't come as a surprise to many, as everyone knew that Pham Manh Hung's relationship with the Nghe An team had ended a long time ago. From a player highly regarded for his talent (having played for the Vietnam U23 team), the 1993-born central defender has "plummeted" to become a mediocre player at SLNA.

Hung "the crossbar" has made a series of mistakes over the years, leading to numerous heartbreaking defeats for the Nghe An team. Typical examples include his own goal in the 0-2 loss to FLC Thanh Hoa in the first leg of the 2017 V.League, and most recently, his unfortunate slip that allowed Nguyen Trong Hoang to score the third goal for FLC Thanh Hoa in the second leg of the 2018 National Cup semi-final.

Pham Manh Hung frequently made mistakes while playing for SLNA. (Photo: Archival image)

The SLNA management and coaching staff did everything they could to help Pham Manh Hung rediscover his form, but the results could only be summed up in two words - disappointment. As a last resort, the Nghe An team had to bench the player from Nghia Dan. In the 2018 V.League season, Pham Manh Hung only played a mere 488 minutes. This is an extremely modest number for a player who is already 25 years old like Hung "the crossbar".

Faced with this situation, the former Vietnam U23 player decided to leave SLNA to seek new challenges, or more precisely, to find a new environment to rediscover himself. And Hai Phong was the next destination for the central defender born in 1993. It didn't take long for the two sides to reach an agreement, with a two-year contract and undisclosed salary.

Upon arriving at Lạch Tray, Phạm Mạnh Hùng will have the opportunity to reunite with his fellow Nghệ An natives currently playing for Hải Phòng FC, such as Technical Director Ngô Quang Trường (head coach of SLNA in the 2015 and 2016 seasons), Nguyễn Đình Bảo, Vương Quốc Trung, Nguyễn Cảnh Dương, Đậu Thanh Phong, Phạm Đình Vũ Hải, and others…

Former SLNA coach Nguyen Quang Truong is currently the Technical Director of Hai Phong. Photo: Internet

Experts and fans in Nghe An province hope that, in the port city, Pham Manh Hung will rediscover his inherent qualities. The inspiring examples of overcoming adversity set by Nguyen Anh Hung (former SLNA player, now playing for Quang Nam FC), Nguyen Dinh Bao, Vuong Quoc Trung, etc., will motivate Hung to strive even harder in his journey to rediscover and assert himself.

There's a saying: "After the storm comes the storm." As long as Pham Manh Hung doesn't give up on his passion and continues to strive for success, his achievements will come soon. Fans in Nghe An will never forget Hung's contributions to SLNA and will always follow in the footsteps of their idol.