The arduous pursuit of passion.

(Baonghean) - The generation of Trong Hoang, Van Binh, Van Hoan, Dinh Viet, Hong Viet... is still considered the most successful from the Song Lam academy to date, as these names, some from the North, some from the South, have all established a solid position. Only Van Tuan, due to recurring injuries, has faced many difficulties in his career and, even now at the age of 26, is still struggling to pursue his passion.

Nguyen Van Tuan was born in 1989 into a family with three siblings in Hung Chinh commune (Vinh City). Gifted in football, especially with his exceptionally skillful left foot, Van Tuan attracted a lot of attention from a young age, even as a primary school student. Later, through a relative's recommendation, Tuan applied for a trial at the Song Lam football academy and was accepted. Van Tuan was in the same generation as Trong Hoang, Van Hoan, Van Binh, Hong Viet, and others. During that period, the Song Lam academy was thriving, dominating national youth tournaments, and the aforementioned players received very thorough training.

During that period, Van Tuan was one of the players who matured early and was promoted to the team at the young age of 18. After a period of gaining experience at HN.ACB, Van Tuan was called back by the club president, Nguyen Hong Thanh, to prepare for the 2010 season. However, Van Tuan was unlucky enough to suffer an injury, leaving everything unfinished. While his teammates and friends like Trong Hoang, Van Binh, Van Hoan... began to secure positions and play regularly, Van Tuan had to sit on the bench due to injury.

Injuries caused difficulties and prevented him from joining the first team in the V.League, so at one point, Van Tuan, along with many other players like Manh Huy and Dinh Bao, went to play in the second division on loan to regain his feel for the game and improve his income. Van Tuan accepted this to prepare himself for what was necessary before his contract with SLNA expired and he moved to another club.

After recovering from injury and leaving his hometown team, Van Tuan moved to play for Kien Giang in the 2012 season. During this period, Van Tuan, along with several other players from Nghe An such as Tien Hoai, were given special treatment by the Mekong Delta team. Playing regularly in the V.League as a left-back, many were happy for Van Tuan because after so many years of hardship, he had finally found a place to showcase his skills.

But "the joy was short-lived." Before the end of the first phase, Tuan suffered another injury and required lengthy treatment. Leaving Kien Giang, Van Tuan returned and continued his recovery. As a free agent, Van Tuan had to manage everything himself, treating his injury and contacting and finding a new team once his legs had healed. At the end of the first half of the 2013 season, rumors surfaced that Binh Duong, after failing to recruit Trong Hoang, had contacted Van Tuan. In fact, the Binh Duong team had indeed approached the defender from Nghe An, and everything seemed finalized, awaiting his debut. However, at that same time, Binh Duong underwent personnel changes at the top level, causing negotiations between the two sides to falter, and Van Tuan ultimately did not join Binh Duong.

In the 2014 season, following a recommendation from SLNA Club, Van Tuan and several other players joined Dak Lak in the First Division. After training and playing there for a while, Van Tuan requested to leave to return and prepare for the 2015 V.League season. This season, Van Tuan went to Hai Phong to test his skills. During the preparation for the 2015 V.League season, Van Tuan played well, showcasing his abilities in the Thanh Hoa - Nghe An training tournament, and everyone thought this defender would "join" Hai Phong. However, at the last minute, negotiations between the two sides failed, and Van Tuan parted ways with Hai Phong.

Van Tuan (number 2) during his time playing for the First Division team, Dak Lak.

Struggling to pursue his passion, Van Tuan decided to quit and focus on business. However, at the age of 26, many people encouraged him to continue his football career, which made Van Tuan reconsider. During this time, Van Tuan frequently appeared on amateur football fields in Vinh City. When asked, Van Tuan said he hadn't decided yet, perhaps he would wait until the 2015 season ended and see how things unfolded before making a decision.

Nearly 10 years into his professional career, Van Tuan has yet to have a complete season. Bad luck has plagued him with recurring injuries, leaving everything unfinished. Looking at his teammates like Trong Hoang, Van Hoan, Van Binh... who are achieving success, many feel sorry for Van Tuan, because in terms of starting point, this defender was arguably better off than the aforementioned players.

Vinh Liem