Midfielder Le Manh Dung: From 'redundant' at SLNA to 'core' at Hai Phong

Grown from the training groundSLNA, but Le Manh Dung was not properly utilized during his time playing for his hometown team. There were even many seasons when Le Manh Dung had to play for other teams on loan, such as Ho Chi Minh City Club and Hai Phong.

At the end of the 2019 season, Le Manh Dung and SLNA "went their separate ways". The next destination for the player born in 1994 is Hong Linh Ha Tinh, a rookie team of V.League 2020. Unfortunately, at the time when coach Pham Minh Duc placed his full trust in him, Manh Dung suffered a serious injury.

Le Manh Dung (right) has won the hearts of Hai Phong fans. Photo: Hai Phong FC

Returning to competition after many months away from the field, Le Manh Dung has become a "supporting actor" in the central midfielder position of the Nui Hong team. With the desire to play more, right after the end of the 2020 season, Le Manh Dung proactively asked to terminate his contract with Hong Linh Ha Tinh to look for new opportunities.

Receiving an invitation from the Hai Phong football team's management board, Le Manh Dung packed his bags and went to Lach Tray for a trial. After a period of training with coach Pham Anh Tuan and his team, the Nghe An player was given a 3-year contract by the Hai Phong team. This is the third time Le Manh Dung has worn the Hai Phong shirt (the previous two times were on loan from SLNA).

Thanks to his talent and efforts, Le Manh Dung quickly became one of the important "cards" of Coach Pham Anh Tuan. According to statistics, in a total of 12 matches of Hai Phong in V.League 2021, Le Manh Dung played 10 matches (all in the starting lineup), with a total duration of up to 853 minutes.

Coach Chu Dinh Nghiem has just become the new "captain" of Hai Phong. Photo: NLĐ

Entering this year's season, Hai Phong has carried out a "revolution" in personnel. Not only has the coaching staff changed (coach Chu Dinh Nghiem replaced coach Pham Anh Tuan), but a series of players have had to pack their bags and leave Lach Tray Stadium. However, Le Manh Dung is still retained by the Hai Phong team's leadership.

If he can maintain his form like last season, Le Manh Dung will likely be given many opportunities by new coach Chu Dinh Nghiem to prove his ability. Hopefully, under the guidance of the former "captain" of Hanoi FC, Le Manh Dung's career will turn to a new page./.