Binh Duong FC signs former Park Hang-seo pupil: Will Tien Linh regain his peak form?

Binh Duong FC has parted ways with midfielder Hai Huy and added several new faces, most notably Nguyen Trong Hung - a former teammate who won the SEA Games 31 gold medal with Tien Linh.

Trong Hung once received very close attention from coach Park Hang-seo.

Photo: VFF

The turbulent career of former teammate Tien Linh

This season, Binh Duong FC has added several players from the First Division and V-League, most notably Nguyen Trong Hung, who was a teammate of Tien Linh in the Vietnam U.23 team that won the gold medal at the 2019 SEA Games.

The midfielder, born in 1997, plays as a left midfielder and was particularly noticed and highly anticipated by coach Park Hang-seo, frequently featuring in training camps for the Vietnam U.23 team and the senior Vietnam national team.

Making his debut for Thanh Hoa FC's first team in 2019, Trong Hung quickly attracted attention, immediately securing a starting spot, playing 24 times and scoring 3 goals. This performance caught the eye of coach Park Hang-seo, leading to regular appearances for the Vietnam U.23 team and the senior Vietnam national team.

Trong Hung was once expected to be the new Phan Van Duc of Vietnamese football.

Photo: VFF

Trong Hung's peak was at the 2019 SEA Games 31, where he scored one goal to help the Vietnam U.23 team win their first ever gold medal in men's football at the SEA Games, alongside Tien Linh (6 goals) and Duc Chinh (8 goals).

However, the career of the midfielder, once dubbed the "new Phan Van Duc," subsequently took a rather turbulent turn, due to his weak constitution which led to frequent interruptions in his playing career because of various injuries.

Over the five seasons from 2020 to 2023-2024, Trong Hung only played 51 V-League matches, with only one appearance in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and only 10 matches in the 2023-2024 season. In the 2024-2025 season, Nguyen Trong Hung wasn't even registered by Thanh Hoa FC.

Will Binh Duong Club turn their fortunes around?

Tien Linh and Binh Duong Club are preparing for the new season.

Photo: Binh Duong Club

These days, Trong Hung is at Binh Duong Club along with some new names like Thanh Hau, Quoc Khanh, Viet Trieu... but he is still unable to train with the new team because he has not fully recovered from his injury.

After parting ways with midfielder Hai Huy, Binh Duong Club is actively seeking quality additions to their midfield, as well as wingers, given that Vi Hao is undergoing treatment for an injury and will not be able to return until the second half of next season.

Hopefully, the move to a new environment will help Trong Hung escape the bad luck that has plagued him in recent years and rediscover his best form. Then, Binh Duong Club will have a quality addition to provide more effective support for Tien Linh up front.

One advantage for Trong Hung is that he will be reunited with former teammates who played alongside him in the Vietnam U.23 team that won the SEA Games 2019 gold medal, such as Tien Linh, Thanh Hau, Tan Tai, Duc Chinh... so he is expected to integrate more quickly into the Binh Duong Club team.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/clb-binh-duong-ky-hoc-tro-cu-ong-park-hang-seo-tim-lai-dinh-cao-with-tien-linh-185250710200951109.htm