Discipline and self-awareness will help players succeed.

At a neighborhood football team party, I happened to witness a former professional player consistently refusing offers of beer and alcohol from acquaintances, opting instead for bottled water. This made me secretly admire this former professional player.

After the party, I had a chance to talk to him. He recalled how, in his younger days, he often "broke the rules" to join drinking sessions with friends. These parties usually ended in the early morning, but he would still manage to get back in time to disguise himself as if he hadn't left his bed. The next morning, he would train as usual, so the coaches wouldn't suspect anything. Only his roommates knew about his constant partying.

He blurted out that he was so foolish back then. Being young and carefree, with money readily available, and feeling down from playing away from home, all-night drinking parties were a way to forget his sadness. But those very parties gradually destroyed his football career.

Not only did the team's leadership discover his "breaking the rules" and impose internal punishments, but he also frequently suffered injuries during the prime of his career. This was likely a consequence of his relentless and exhausting playing style. This ultimately led to his premature retirement from professional football.

Fortunately, after retiring, he was still able to stay involved with football by participating in...youth trainingAt a renowned football center, drawing on his own experiences, he always emphasized discipline and self-reliance in his students. His strictness and seriousness during training and daily life contributed to the progress and maturity of the young players. Many of his students are now playing for major clubs in the country, and some have even been members of the Vietnamese national team.

Returning to the current state of Vietnamese football, discipline and self-awareness remain a luxury for many clubs, especially among young players who lack the awareness to protect their livelihood.

Eating habits are haphazard; they eat whatever they like. The phrase "let's have a drink in the afternoon to cool off" is not uncommon at some clubs. Nights turn into "night owls," leaving them exhausted on the training field the next morning. This leads to decreased physical fitness and frequent injuries.

In some exceptional cases, players have even resorted to using banned substances, causing their careers to decline. The recent case of five Hong Linh Ha Tinh players facing legal trouble is a prime example. Most regrettable among them is center-back Nguyen Ngoc Thang, who had just turned 22 and was a member of the Vietnam U23 national team.

Therefore, many clubs have implemented strict regulations to keep young players in line. Some even conduct surprise inspections to detect violations, subsequently imposing disciplinary measures to deter and correct the behavior of young players.

Many players will be annoyed by the strict management ofclubsBut it is precisely these strict disciplines that help them develop further and stay on the right track.

World-class players don't just appear out of nowhere. They all go through periods of training and hard work. Adherence to discipline and self-awareness in choosing a healthy lifestyle contribute to their ability to play at the highest level for an extended period.