Goalkeeper Nguyen Manh: "I have only reached 90% of my form"

SLNA had a dream start, the Nghe An team won convincingly 2-0 against the visiting team Quang Nam. Not Phan Van Duc, not Ollaha, but Nguyen Manh was the most sought-after player after the match.

Nguyen Manh's excellence made everyone present at Vinh Stadium admire. In this match, the home team's goalkeeper made 2 miraculous saves to deny Quang Nam team's attempt to score an equalizer.

Nguyen Manh had an excellent performance on his return to the field. Photo: Xuan Thuy

“I myself was surprised when the head coach let me play in this opening match. Although I have regained my sense of playing football after a long time off, I still feel like I have not reached 100% of my form. Currently, I have only reached 90% of my original form” - Nguyen Manh shared after the match.

Coach Hoang Van Phuc of Quang Nam also had compliments for Nguyen Manh: "If I remember correctly, Nguyen Manh has not played for more than a year. If this is the first match after a serious injury, then Manh is truly commendable, a truly impressive comeback."

Before the V.League started, few people thought that coach Duc Thang would use Nguyen Manh right at the beginning of the new season. The goalkeeper from Do Luong was able to join the heavy training with his teammates at SLNA during the pre-season preparation. However, that does not mean that Manh will be given the opportunity early, that would be a risk for his career.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang shares joy with his student after the match. Photo: Xuan Thuy

Talking about the future goals, Nguyen Manh said that he is currently trying to regain his previous form and is determined to play well with SLNA in V.League 2019.

Currently in the Vietnam national team, the goalkeeper position has become crowded with excellent names such as Tuan Manh and Bui Tien Dung. If Nguyen Manh continues to play convincingly like in the match against Quang Nam, he can be completely included in the list of coaches Park Hang-seo to prepare for upcoming goals.

Nguyen Manh himself is also very eager to return to the national team: "I have shared many times that I miss the national team, the serious injury has taken away many opportunities to show myself. Currently, I only think about the goal of playing well with SLNA, thereby hoping to return to the national team in the near future."

With what he has shown, Nguyen Manh's return to the national team is probably not far away. Photo: Xuan Thuy

Before the season started, SLNA's management board planned to borrow Phan Dinh Vu Hai from Hai Phong for another season. However, at the last minute, Vu Hai remained at the port city team, he was chosen to replace Dang Van Lam, who unexpectedly transferred to play for Muang Thong United the day after the 2019 Asian Cup ended.

Captain Nguyen Manh made an impressive return, veterans like Van Binh and Dinh Dong all performed well on their return. SLNA is truly a formidable team, they are ready for a season with greater ambitions.