The difficult childhood and bright future of the midfielder of U13 Song Lam Nghe An

A difficult childhood

At the 2023 National Youth Football Tournament,U13 Song Lam Nghe Anhas left many good impressions in the hearts of fans. During the closing ceremony, many celebratory photos of U13 Song Lam Nghe An were widely posted on social networking sites. However, there was a photo that made Mr. Vu Duc Quyet - coach of the gifted football class of Yen Thanh district unable to contain his emotions. The characters in that photo are mother and son Hoang Anh Tuan (Player wearing shirt number 14 of U13 Song Lam Nghe An), taking a souvenir photo when he just won the title of Best Player of the 2023 National U13 Tournament.

Mr. Quyet said that Tuan was born and raised in Minh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. The midfielder, born in 2010, had a poor and lonely childhood. Since birth, Tuan did not know his father, and his mother and son relied on each other to survive. His unfortunate fate always made Tuan's eyes filled with sadness.

Lacking the warmth of his father, Tuan did not have the same life skills as other children his age. He was often afraid of communication and just wanted to stay at home.

Because of his poor family background, more than 2 years ago, Tuan had to live in a dilapidated, broken house without surrounding walls. During the rainy season, the mother and son did not know where to find shelter. Tuan's mother (Mrs. Hoang Thi Nong) did not have a stable job, she did whatever she was hired to do. On days with favorable weather, Mrs. Nong was hired to peel acacia bark and hoe grass, and her income was not worth much. But many days when the weather changed, the mother and son could only eat simple meals to get through the day. That is why Tuan's family's life was always precarious, living today, not knowing about tomorrow.

Since he was 8 years old, Hoang Anh Tuan had to work as a hired hand, doing hard labor to help his mother earn extra income to support their lives. That is why his face looks older than his age.

Mr. Quyet recalls: “One hot summer afternoon, I went to Tuan’s house and saw him returning home, carrying a heavy plow on his shoulder. I found out that after school, Tuan had to help his mother earn money to support his family. Working in harsh weather made his skin tanned and his face gaunt. Compared to the other children, I felt very sorry for him.”

Although he has to study and work to help his mother, Tuan still tries to spend time on the village football field every afternoon to play football, to satisfy his passion. Although his physique is not ideal, with his natural talent, Tuan always brings a difference to the match every time he participates.

Finding light for the future

Tuan's life suddenly found light when the Yen Thanh football gifted class came to look for talents in his hometown. Seeing that her son liked to play football, Mrs. Hoang Thi Nong took Tuan to meet coach Vu Duc Quyet. After a few tests, he decided to recruit Hoang Anh Tuan to the basic football gifted class of Song Lam Nghe An in Yen Thanh.

“Tuan has special qualities, he has physical strength, speed and relatively good technique. I saw that Tuan is a player who can develop into a professional football player. And I think that this is also the shortest way to change his life”. - Mr. Quyet shared.

To attend the junior soccer class, Tuan and his mother had to travel nearly 20 km every day. However, many days Mrs. Nong was too busy with work, so Tuan could not go to class. Seeing the plight of the mother and son, the parents in the class took turns picking up and dropping off Tuan, giving him the opportunity to pursue his passion.

2020 was an important milestone in Hoang Anh Tuan's life, when he participated in the Children's Football Tournament organized by Song Lam Nghe An Club. At the end of the tournament, Tuan was voted the best player of the tournament and was recruited directly to the Song Lam Nghe An Youth Football Training Center.

“Hoang Anh Tuan has left me with many impressions. He has two different personalities. In real life, Tuan is a quiet and shy person, but when he is on the field, he shows extraordinary inner strength and is always a spiritual support for his teammates,” Mr. Vu Duc Quyet shared.

After more than 2 years of training at Song Lam Nghe An, the 2023 National Youth Tournament is the official tournament that Hoang Anh Tuan will participate in. In this tournament, Tuan was arranged by coach Le Manh Huy to play in the right wing midfielder position of U13 Song Lam Nghe An. Many of the goals that U13 Nghe An scored were marked by Hoang Anh Tuan. With speed, physical strength, and the ability to dribble, Tuan always brings many breakthroughs in the attack of U13 Song Lam Nghe An. Not only creating, the midfielder wearing shirt number 14 also has 6 goals, contributing greatly to the championship of U13 Nghe An. With that excellent performance, Hoang Anh Tuan was voted the best player of the tournament.

Coach Le Manh Huy - U13 Song Lam Nghe An commented: "Hoang Anh Tuan is a promising player of Song Lam Nghe An. If he always perseveres on the path he has chosen and receives attention from many sides, his future promises to be very open."

These days, after the 2023 National Youth Football Tournament ended, Hoang Anh Tuan was able to return home to visit his family. This time, he received a lot of joy. Especially thanks to the attention of authorities at all levels, mass organizations, neighbors, Tuan and his mother were able to borrow money to build a small house. Although life is still full of difficulties and hardships, at least the U13 Song Lam Nghe An midfielder has found light for the future. And it must be affirmed that football has changed Hoang Anh Tuan's life.