Midfielder Khac Ngoc and the "golden key" knocking on the door of the national team

Midfielder Ho Khac Ngoc grew up from the Nghe An Newspaper Cup Youth Football Tournament in the Vinh City Youth Football Team jersey. The talent of this player with a flamboyant yet effective playing style was shown right from the SLNA youth teams.

Along with players like Nguyen Manh, Hoang Thinh, Phi Son, Quang Nam..., this team has been a hit in youth tournaments and has won many championship titles. However, it was not until his 7th season in the V.League that his qualities and consistent performance were recognized by the national team head coach.

Midfielder Khac Ngoc (15) in the U21 SLNA team that won the championship in 2012. Photo courtesy

Although his teammate called to inform him that his name was on the national team list, the 26-year-old player still did not believe it was true until the press reported it. Khac Ngoc shared: “Que Ngoc Hai called to inform me that my name was on the list. I had to ask again to see if it was true, then there was an official announcement in the newspaper before I believed it. When I started playing football, I only thought that being able to play football was fun and enjoyable, but I never thought that one day I would be called up to the national team. Indeed, I am happy because my efforts have been rewarded.”

“When I first played in the V.League, my competitive mentality was completely different from now. From the youth team, I was always afraid that the coach would replace me on the field. Now that the coach trusts me to play as a starter, I play much more confidently. From then on, my performance in the competition has also been higher. At the national team, I am confident that I can compete fairly, confident that I will have a position in the starting lineup. Before the 17th Asiad, I practiced with coach Toshiya Miura once and felt a bit nervous, but this time, no matter who the coach is, I have to practice with all my heart. If I have the opportunity, I still want to strive to compete in the AFF Cup at the end of this year,” Khac Ngoc shared about his journey to assert himself and his determination before joining the national team.

Khac Ngoc will turn a new page in his football career. Photo: Goal

Last year, SLNA extended Khac Ngoc's contract for another 2 years with a high signing bonus and salary to help him feel secure in his dedication. According to Khac Ngoc, the key to success is nothing more than practicing hard and having a comfortable mentality every time he goes out to compete.

With his brilliant performance at SLNA, Khac Ngoc was voted by Goal magazine as the best player in Asia in February 2018. In V.League 2017, statistics from Instat software also proved that he was the best and most effective midfielder./.

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