SLNA midfielder Tran Dinh Tien and the story of 'the old man lost his horse'

After a period of relentless effort, Tran Dinh Tien was promoted by the SLNA coaching staff to train in the first team right before the 2019 season. Because they did not want to "force mature" young players too quickly, the Nghe An team let Tran Dinh Tien play for XSKT Can Tho, on loan.

Tran Dinh Tien has made visible progress this season. Photo: Xuan Thuy

Thanks to his talent and hard work, Tran Dinh Tien did not take long to win the trust of the Tay Do team's coaching staff. Except for the times when he was injured or suspended, this player was always in the starting lineup.

According to statistics, in the 2019 National First Division, Tran Dinh Tien scored 2 goals and had 3 successful assists. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the relegation achievement of XSKT Can Tho in the 2019 National First Division, was largely due to the player from Nghe An.

Witnessing the remarkable growth of Tran Dinh Tien in XSKT Can Tho, the Nghe An team decided to add this player to the roster for the 2020 season. This is a worthy reward for the talent and tireless efforts of the midfielder wearing the number 15 shirt.

Will the position left by Ho Tuan Tai (number 10) be assigned to Tran Dinh Tien? Photo courtesy of Xuan Thuy

There is a saying "all beginnings are hard"; the first stage atSLNAnot really smooth for Tran Dinh Tien. In the 2 matches with Saigon FC (round 1) and B.Binh Duong (round 2) in phase 1V.League 2020, Tran Dinh Tien was not used by coach Ngo Quang Truong for a single minute. The familiar position of the player from Hoang Mai town is on the bench.

It was not until the SLNA coaching board decided to payHo Tuan TaiRegarding the striker position, replacing foreign player Alagie Sosseh, Tran Dinh Tien has been able to play regularly in the role of a right winger. The first time Tran Dinh Tien was in the starting lineup was in SLNA's 1-0 win over Hanoi FC in round 5 of phase 1 of V.League 2020.

With a strong physical foundation and an enthusiastic and persistent playing style, the midfielder wearing the number 15 shirt has become a dangerous "drill" on the right wing of the Nghe An team. At the end of this season, Tran Dinh Tien played a total of 17 matches in both the V.League and the National Cup.

Through the above statistics, it can be seen that the midfielder from Hoang Mai Town is the second most played player, after senior Bui Dinh Chau, among the young players. Even former U19 Vietnam player Thai Ba Sang cannot compare. Clearly, Tran Dinh Tien has had a quite successful season.

So, more than 4 years have passed since the day he packed his bags and entered the SLNA training center to live and practice, the former midfielder of XSKT Can Tho has somewhat affirmed his ability. What he has achieved in the 2020 season is a worthy result of Tran Dinh Tien's efforts and will to strive./.