Pham Xuan Manh and his early memories at the Youth - Children's Football Tournament of Nghe An Newspaper Cup

Pham Xuan Manh is an indispensable player in SLNA's squad. Photo: Duc Anh

First time on the street

When you return to Yen Thanh and ask the people of the villages above and below, which football player do you love the most? You will almost certainly receive an answer that is Van Duc and Xuan Manh. These two stars are the pride of the people of the rice fields. Because both have contributed greatly to the miracle ofU23 Vietnamwhen winning the runner-up position in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship Finals. Both players come from families with difficult circumstances. Xuan Manh's family is one of the poor households in Minh Thanh.

The boy from the rice fields had to work hard and toil to help his parents in the fields. But it was participating in production labor from a young age that shaped Xuan Manh into a stronger and more resilient child than his peers. Since childhood, Manh had a strong passion for football. With his innate qualities, the player born in 1996 has always been the most outstanding person when participating in the village and commune football teams.

“Perhaps because I worked hard since I was young, I was stronger than my peers. When playing soccer, I often had the advantage in disputes or pressing. This was my strength that allowed me to play any position on the field,” Manh recounted.

Seeing the outstanding qualities of the player born in 1996, the Yen Thanh Children's Coaching Board recruited him to participate in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children's Football Tournament.

Manh recalls: “That day, participating in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup not only made me proud with my family and friends, but I also thought I would be able to go back to Vinh to go out. Because that was the first time I went out to the city and discovered new things. Just thinking about it made me feel restless and excited. The night before I left, I couldn’t sleep, just waiting for the morning to come so I could leave.”

Xuan Manh and Yen Thanh Children's Team participatedYouth and Children Football Tournament - Nghe An Newspaper Cupin 2008. Although Manh could play well in many positions, that season Xuan Manh was placed by the coaching staff to play highest on the attack line. With both strength and skillful ball handling, Manh was a nightmare for the opposing defense. Although not the top scorer of the tournament, Xuan Manh contributed many important goals to help the young team from the rice fields overcome many strong opponents.

“The match I remember most when participating in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament was the semi-final match against Tan Ky. In that match, I scored an important goal to help Yen Thanh win a ticket to the final match. After the goal, many fans came to cheer and praise me, making me feel very proud. That was the first happy feeling that football brought to me. That is an unforgettable memory in my football career” - Xuan Manh shared.

Xuan Manh was arranged to play the role of a ball transfer station between teammates to create effective attacks. Photo: Duc Anh

Although Yen Thanh could not win the Nghe An Newspaper Cup that year, Xuan Manh personally had an impressive season. And more interestingly, the player from the rice fields had many memorable experiences when he first returned to Vinh city.

“The first time I went out into the street, I was struck by all the new things that made us, the kids from the countryside, excited and curious. Going to Big C and eating ice cream brought a feeling of “ecstasy”. If we hadn’t participated in the Bao Cup, we probably wouldn’t have had such experiences,” said Xuan Manh.

Also after helping the team win the Silver Cup,Xuan Manhwas recruited by SLNA scouts to the club's youth training center. From here, the door to professional football opened wide for the poor boy from the rice fields.

Star in the hearts of fans

Born in a poor land, Xuan Manh has been trained with a will and diligence that is difficult for any player in Song Lam Nghe An to compare. Those qualities quickly helped the striker born in 1996 gain the trust of the coaching staff. During his time playing for the Song Lam Nghe An youth team, Xuan Manh has always been an irreplaceable position. He has achieved achievements that many players in the Nghe An team dream of, such as: Champion of the National U17 Championship 2012 with Song Lam Nghe An, Runner-up of the National U19 Championship in 2013 and 2014 with Song Lam Nghe An. Bronze Medal of the National U21 Championship 2017, Champion of the National Cup 2017.

Xuan Manh played impressively at the U23 Asian Cup.

But when it comes to Xuan Manh, fans will remember him most when he participated in the 2018 AFC U23 Championship Finals. He was one of the players called up by Coach Park Hang-seo the latest but left a deep impression.

In the match against U23 Qatar, Xuan Manh entered the field from the start to replace Van Hau. The player from Yen Thanh left impressive statistics such as: one assist, 39 dribbles, 71.8% successful passes... With the great contributions of Xuan Manh, U23 Vietnam won the runner-up position for the first time in the 2018 U23 Asian Cup.

After this tournament, Xuan Manh became a name loved by many fans. And he is the pride of the people of the rice fields. Xuan Manh's success did not come from luck but from serious and tireless work.

Xuan Manh shared: “Following football is probably the shortest path to a better life for me. And if I hadn’t participated in the Nghe An Newspaper Cup, I might not have had the chance to come to Song Lam Nghe An. It can be affirmed that my first important tournament was the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth - Children Football Tournament. That was a beautiful memory of my childhood.”

Now Xuan Manh is trying to regain his form after a long period of injury. In the first matches of V.League 2022, the Yen Thanh player has performed well. He is an irreplaceable pillar in Coach Huy Hoang's squad. Hopefully, the new season will witness a brilliant performance from the Yen Thanh defender. He and his teammates will help SLNA achieve the set goals.