Pham Xuan Manh: 'Winning the ASEAN Cup 2024 is an inspiration for football teams'

On the afternoon of January 9, Hanoi Club held a welcoming ceremony for 5 players including Pham Xuan Manh, Thanh Chung, Hai Long, Duy Manh and Tuan Hai - who just returned after winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship.

After the ceremony, defender Pham Xuan Manh shared with the media: ''I am very happy and excited to return to the team, like returning home, meeting familiar teammates. We were allowed to take 2 days off but I have not arranged to return home yet. Currently, we are focusing on recovering our physical condition, preparing the best for the next journey''.

Returning after winning the ASEAN Cup 2024, without having time to rest, Xuan Manh had to return to training and prepare for the upcoming matches. The player from Yen Thanh, Nghe An said: ''Over the years, we have become accustomed to living with the cycle of football. Players need to be highly adaptable to all situations. Football is a passion, so every day is a holiday. We always need to be ready to compete''.

Defender Pham Xuan Manh hopes that the ASEAN Cup championship will be a driving force to move towards other goals: ''Hopefully, the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship of the Vietnamese team will be an inspiration for other teams. For Hanoi club in particular, it will be the goal to aim for the V-League championship. The whole team always aspires to move forward, united for the common goal''.

Talking about striker Nguyen Xuan Son's unfortunate injury, Xuan Manh hopes that the best things will come to Xuan Son and he will soon return to the field.

Statistics at the 2024 Asean Cup show that Xuan Manh played 6 matches with 531 minutes on the field. This shows that the 28-year-old defender is very important in coach Kim Sang-sik's tactics.

Until the last seconds, Xuan Manh still showed abundant energy, showing no signs of physical exhaustion. This was an important factor that helped the Vietnamese team have a solid defense, thereby winning this tournament.