Tran Dinh Hoang shares his feelings on the day he returned to his old home

The day back to the old roof, PVNghe An Newspaperhad an interview with the defender born in 1991 to let him open up about his time playing football.

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang, with his experience and courage, will be an important link for SLNA in the new season. Photo: D.A

PV: Can you tell us about your journey to the training center?SLNAand become a professional player? What was your favorite position as a young player?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:I was born in Hung Nguyen, a land with many football talents, such as Ngo Quang Truong, Pham Van Quyen, Nguyen Minh Duc... Before becoming a professional player, I was very passionate about playing football. Besides studying at school, my childhood joy was probably just with the round ball. I came to professional football as a fate. I remember that day, I accidentally saw on TV an advertisement of SLNA Club about recruiting young players. I wanted to pursue my passion for playing football, so I asked my family's permission to go to Vinh to audition. After going through the professional testing process, the coaches of SLNA Club discovered me and decided to keep me with the club.

When I first started training, my favorite position was winger. Because at that time I was fast and had the ability to cross the ball quite accurately. However, through the training process, the coaches discovered that I had stronger qualities in the position of fullback. Because in addition to speed, I also had good stamina and the ability to stick.

PV: During your time competing in youth tournaments, what titles have you won? Which title do you remember most during this time?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:During the training and competition process at SLNA's youth team, my achievements were not too many. However, those sweet fruits made me feel happy, it gave me more energy to try harder and work harder in the next stage. Some notable titles include: U15 Bronze Medal, U19 Bronze Medal in 2008, 2009, U21 Gold Medal in 2012, 2014, National Sports Festival Gold Medal in 2015, National Cup Championship in 2017... Among the achievements, I must say that the National U21 Gold Medal in 2012 is the most memorable medal in my career. Because from this medal, I was highly appreciated by the club's coaching board and many experts, it brought me to the light, was the springboard for me to become a member of SLNA's first team. Looking back on that season, the match that I will always remember is the final match against U21 Ninh Thuan. In that match, I contributed an assist for The Cuong to score, but then I received a red card and had to leave the field. For the rest of the time, I had to live in a feeling of anxiety, however, after the final whistle, U21 SLNA won the championship, everything seemed to explode. It is true that the match brought me a lot of emotions.

PV: How did you feel when you were promoted to the SLNA Nghe An first team in 2012? What did you do to become an indispensable defender for SLNA?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:As we know, SLNA Club in the past was a club with a deep squad, with many quality young players, so when I was promoted to the SLNA first team, trained and competed with older players, I felt very happy, proud and told myself to try harder to be able to survive in this harsh environment. After a hard training process and being highly appreciated by the coach, I had the opportunity to enter the field and was very lucky to have shown what the club's coaching board expected, so I won an official position in the SLNA squad.

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang is quickly integrating into the team's playing style. Photo: DA

PV: During your time playing for the Nghe An team, what is your most memorable memory?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:The memory that I remember most when playing for SLNA was the match against Saigon Xuan Thanh Cement in the 5th round of the 2013 National Championship. As we all know, Saigon Xuan Thanh was a strong team at that time, they were a newly emerged giant, with many quality players in the squad. Therefore, at the Thanh Vinh fire pit, a record number of spectators were welcomed into the stadium, fans climbed over the fence and almost broke Vinh stadium, the referee had to stop the match for many minutes to stabilize the situation. The match against Saigon Xuan Thanh was the first time I had officially played, so I was a bit overwhelmed when entering the match, but thanks to the cheers of thousands of fans in the stands, it gave me more motivation and will to confidently play football.

PV: Playing for the national team is the dream of many players, so how do you feel as a defender playing in the official lineup of the Vietnam national team?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:Being called up to the national team is the dream of many players, including me. Here, I get to practice and compete with many good players, which has created opportunities for me to learn and gain a lot of valuable experience.

Of the 6 matches I participated in at the national team level, the match against Chinese Taipei was my most memorable. In that match, from a long pass from Que Ngoc Hai, I broke away at a very fast speed, making a cross for Van Toan to score. That assist helped Vietnam win 2-1 in the end.

PV: Has the serious injury in 2017 affected your performance until now?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:It was a pretty serious injury for me in 2017. I had to go to Singapore for treatment and it took me a year to get back on the field. After the injury, it took me a while to regain my form. However, I cannot compare it to before, but now I play differently, I have more experience, so I can say I am still very confident every time I go on the field.

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang. Photo: DA

PV: What did your time playing for SHB Da Nang bring to you? And what experience did you gain during this time playing away from home?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:After the end of the 2019 season, I was contacted by coach Le Huynh Duc of SHB Da Nang. At that time, for many reasons, I realized that the Han River team had a wing that suited me, so I accepted to join them. The time playing here also gave me a lot of experience. There, I learned how to live and work professionally. In terms of expertise, I learned how to develop the ball, how to adapt to many different schemes and tactics. These are very valuable experiences for my future.

PV: Why do you want to come back to wear SLNA shirt?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:I have never wanted to leave my hometown team, because this is like my home, with brothers, close friends, the place where I grew up. And moreover, when I return here, I get to live near my family, play for Nghe An fans, that is what I have always wished for. Therefore, when the club contacted me to return to join, I did not hesitate to choose SLNA as the destination for the new season.

You know, when I play for another team, I only get support from the audience there, but when I play for SLNA, in addition to the fans, I also get encouragement and support from my family and friends, it feels very warm.

In addition to completing his own training, Dinh Hoang always gives instructions to young players to help them gain more experience in playing football, which is very necessary for the SLNA team to become stronger. Photo: Duc Anh

PV: Did you feel confused and encounter any difficulties during the days of returning to practice with the Nghe An team?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:SLNA has now changed a lot, from the team formation to the way of playing football, but luckily for me, I have the help of the coaching staff and my teammates, so I feel it is not difficult to integrate into the team.

PV: Are you confident that you will contribute well to SLNA's playing style in the new season? Because SLNA now has many quality young players competing with you for a position?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:Football is unpredictable, but with my current form, I am completely confident that I can meet the professional requirements set by the coach. In addition, with the experience of fighting in many V.League seasons and updating a lot of knowledge about modern football in different environments, that will help me to be able to guide younger players to have more knowledge to play football. If I can help them play better, the team will be stronger, that is what I always think and aim for.

PV: What is your goal with SLNA in the new season?

Defender Tran Dinh Hoang:The 2022 season promises to be very fierce, because many teams are investing heavily. However, SLNA is also showing many positive changes, I am working hard with the team every day to prepare best for the new season. I will do my best to serve the club, hoping that in the new season I will have positive contributions to the team's playing style. I also thank the fans who have always accompanied the team over the years and hope that in the new season, Nghe An audiences will cheer more enthusiastically so that the club can always win.

PV: Thank you Dinh Hoang for this interview!

Minh Quan