Pham Xuan Manh - from a poor boy to a wealthy football player.

A childhood of poverty

Pham Xuan ManhBorn in Minh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, the player, born in 1996, comes from a farming family. Manh's childhood was more difficult than that of his peers; he spent one part of the day at school and the other part in the fields tending buffaloes, cutting grass, and helping his parents.

Manh's family was once considered the poorest in the commune. As a child, the former Song Lam Nghe An player had to live in a dilapidated house that leaked when it rained and was drafty.

Nevertheless, Xuan Manh still has a passionate love for football. The boy from the rice-growing region showed early signs of innate talent for the sport. In 2007, Manh was selected by the coach of the Yen Thanh Children's team to participate in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament. "Back then, when he joined the district's children's football team, my mother and I packed lunch and went to Vinh. We had no money; when we arrived in Vinh, we only had a little over 10,000 dong left. My mother had to buy me a loaf of bread to eat. I gave way to my mother, and she gave way to me. Remembering that scene, I never thought Manh would make it this far," recalled Mr. Pham Xuan Linh, Xuan Manh's father.

Despite the limited resources, Xuan Manh delivered an outstanding performance, helping the Yen Thanh Children's team finish as runners-up in the tournament.

And perhaps it's not an exaggeration to say that the Nghe An Newspaper Cup changed Xuan Manh's life.

The player, born in 1996, caught the eye of scouts from the Song Lam Nghe An youth football academy. However, to fund Manh's football career, his family had to sell their buffalo, their most valuable asset. This experience motivated Xuan Manh to always strive and overcome difficulties to become a good player.

The turning point in Xuan Manh's career came when he was promoted to the Song Lam Nghe An first team. This was also a crucial factor in his call-up to the Vietnam U23 team by coach Park Hang-seo to participate in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship.

"Million-dollar" player

At the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Championship, Xuan Manh was merely a "substitute" for Van Hau on the left wing of the Vietnam U23 team. Despite being only the second-choice option, Xuan Manh performed excellently under the trust of coach Park Hang-seo. He started from the quarter-finals to the final, making a significant contribution to Vietnam U23's runner-up finish at the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

After that prestigious silver medal, a new horizon opened up for Xuan Manh. The reputation of the player from the rice-growing region became widely known, and he is now a football "millionaire" after several big contracts.

Specifically, when sponsor Tan Long took over Song Lam Nghe An, Xuan Manh received a generous signing bonus, estimated at around 8 billion VND over 3 years. In early 2024, Xuan Manh was rumored to have received another 9 billion VND signing bonus from Hanoi FC, along with a salary of 60 million VND per month, not including other bonuses.

Currently, the player from the rice-growing region owns a three-story house in a luxurious urban area in Vinh City. Furthermore, in early 2021, shortly after their wedding, Xuan Manh and his wife received many congratulations for purchasing a luxury car worth billions of VND. In 2023, Xuan Manh continued to buy another car for his wife.

Previously, Xuan Manh had also built a large, spacious house with full amenities for his parents in Yen Thanh.

"I have to thank my difficult childhood, because it created great motivation for me. If I hadn't strived, I would probably still be working as a farmer or a factory worker somewhere. To be frank, if I had good skills, I would have a good income. Don't dream of good things when you're just an average player," Xuan Manh shared.

Returning to the story, the 2024 ASEAN Cup is where Xuan Manh just won the championship with the Vietnamese national team. With his own determination, the player from the rice-growing region returned to the national team and immediately took the number one position in coach Kim Sang-sik's tactical plan. The defender born in 1996 showed brilliant form, making a significant contribution to helping the Vietnamese national team win the championship for the third time at the biggest football tournament in the region.

And after winning the ASEAN Cup 2024, Xuan Manh's wealth continued to increase. Now, it's not an exaggeration to say that Pham Xuan Manh is one of the richest players in Vietnamese football.

"I constantly strive and learn from coaches, teammates, and senior players so that my career can continue to reach new heights," Xuan Manh said optimistically.