Van Quyen is learning to be an "adult".

Although Van Quyen is almost 30 years old this year (according to his records, Van Quyen was born on April 29, 1984), in the eyes of Mrs. Ho Thi Niem, her only son will always be a child. Vietnamese football fans, especially those who love SLNA, only remember Quyen as the "golden boy" of yesteryear, with his explosive moments on the field that captivated hearts. And even now, people still see Quyen as a talented child who always needs protection, care, and support.

Van Quyen has had many opportunities to redeem himself, but so far he has not been able to return to his former self. Photo: VSI

Over the years, Van Quyen lived and played football instinctively, like a child. This instinctive lifestyle and playing style, combined with his natural talent, led to his success on the field. His curling shots, skillful feints, and signature free kicks brought intense excitement to the fans.

And even more remarkably, Van Quyen's world-class goals, which turned the tide in many crucial matches, captivated millions of Vietnamese hearts. What made Van Quyen special was his unique playing style and technical skills, unlike any other player in Vietnam, thus creating an indelible mark in the hearts of fans.

That's why millions of fans of all ages and backgrounds across the country have wholeheartedly loved Quyen, even when he made mistakes, people easily forgave him; even when he played poorly for the past three seasons, people still fondly mentioned him, and the press devoted so much ink to writing about him.

However, one cannot live forever on the glory of the past, and no one can protect, shelter, or pamper Van Quyen forever, especially after receiving a 2 billion VND signing bonus from SLNA plus a monthly salary of 28 million VND. Instead of saving for the future, Quyen squandered it all on frivolous activities outside of his career.

SLNA's decision to terminate Quyen's contract prematurely may come as a surprise to fans, but it's a reasonable one at this time. According to a member of the SLNA coaching staff, the club had given Quyen every opportunity over the past three years, but his performance not only failed to improve but actually deteriorated. The reason was his persistent laziness in physical training, coupled with his penchant for partying, which he refused to change despite repeated warnings from the coaching staff.

Furthermore, due to the club's extremely limited budget this year, the management had to rearrange and restructure salaries for all staff and players in a way that resulted in reductions. Therefore, a player who frequently sits on the bench like Quyen could not maintain a salary of 28 million VND/month, while many young players recently promoted to the first team who perform very well only receive salaries below 10 million VND/month.

It's also necessary to help Quyen get used to independent living so she can stand on her own two feet. If she continues to live under the protection and care of others as she has for so long, Quyen will forever remain a child.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Thanh, General Director of SLNA Football Joint Stock Company, said: “We let Quyen go because we wanted him to mature. SLNA will never abandon Van Quyen; we will always follow his every step and reserve a place for him. At a suitable time, we will welcome Quyen back to play football or do another job.”

Quyen's decision to terminate his contract one year early with SLNA was entirely voluntary, because he felt he couldn't compete for a starting spot in the SLNA team at this time, even with the young players recently promoted from the U21 team, and Quyen also didn't want to become a burden to the club.

Van Quyen's decision to leave SLNA, and his idea of ​​renting a kiosk with his girlfriend to run a fashion clothing business, shows that he has matured. His mother, Ho Thi Niem, also hoped her son would get married and have a stable life with children and grandchildren, but his passion for football remained strong in the heart of the former "football prodigy," so he joined V. Ninh Binh FC to rediscover his glory on the pitch. It's clear that the team from the ancient capital of Hoa Lu accepted Van Quyen at this time more as a form of "assistance" than as a way to strengthen their squad or promote their image.

Hopefully, with more mature thinking, a greater sense of responsibility, and especially the valuable lessons learned from his own experiences, Van Quyen will strive to live up to the fans' trust and affection. To achieve this, Quyen must first improve his physical fitness, because modern football requires not only technique but also speed and strength, especially in leagues where teams have many tall, strong foreign players like today.

According to Thethaovanhoa - DT