'Unique' HAGL center back: The tallest player in the history of the Vietnamese team

Although he could not stay in the U.23 Vietnam team, central defender Dinh Quang Kiet was unexpectedly named in the list of the Vietnamese national team in the September training session.

Vietnam team has new elements

Since the Vietnamese team will only gather to play friendly matches with V-League teams in September, coach Kim Sang-sik and acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh have agreed to give opportunities to some new players. These include goalkeeper Quan Van Chuan ( Hanoi FC), central defender Tran Hoang Phuc (Ho Chi Minh City Police FC), and striker Pham Gia Hung (Ninh Binh).

However, the most surprising face is central defender Dinh Quang Kiet, who simultaneously holds two titles in the current Vietnamese team: youngest (18 years old) and tallest (1.96 m). Even with a height of nearly 2 m, Dinh Quang Kiet is the tallest player to ever wear the Vietnamese team's jersey, surpassing even overseas Vietnamese "giants" like Dang Van Lam or Nguyen Filip.

Dinh Quang Kiet was called up to the Vietnam national team.

PHOTO: HAGL

Dinh Quang Kiet used to play for U.16 and U.19 Vietnam in the period of 2022 - 2024. With outstanding height, HAGL's gem is highly valued in the position of center back. He is a solid "tower" in aerial ball disputes. When playing for U.19 Vietnam, at some points, Dinh Quang Kiet was also promoted to play... striker to find goals from headers.

Dinh Quang Kiet was promoted to play in the V-League in the second phase of last season. The 2007-born midfielder played 11 matches and was considered to have played well. This season, when young defender Pham Ly Duc left, Dinh Quang Kiet became the first choice in defense. The 2007-born player started 2 matches, including the match against Hanoi where Dinh Quang Kiet helped HAGL draw 0-0.

Dinh Quang Kiet's presence in the Vietnam national team is surprising, because he once... could not stay in the U.23 Vietnam team. The HAGL center back was called up by coach Kim Sang-sik before the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament, however, he was one of the names eliminated before the departure date. Similar to the case of Pham Ly Duc's call-up in March, Dinh Quang Kiet is a rare factor wearing the Vietnam national team shirt, although he has never made an impression in the youth teams.

Vietnam team has many new elements

PHOTO: VFF

Even the choice of Ly Duc is understandable because before joining the national team, he had started 15 consecutive matches. Dinh Quang Kiet is very young and has not shown anything in the V-League. He has good height, but his football skills such as marking, passing, and competing are still limited.

However, Dinh Quang Kiet was still given a chance in the national team, showing that the duo Kim Sang-sik and Dinh Hong Vinh still want to test the potential of this "rough gem".

Competitive opportunities

Although his football skills have not been perfected, Dinh Quang Kiet's height of 1.96 m is still a valuable asset that the Vietnamese team is looking for. When Mr. Kim's defense, which is only about 1.8 m tall, is constantly at a disadvantage against taller opponents, having a center back who is nearly 2 m tall is still worth experimenting with.

Just like the case of goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien or center back Ly Duc, Dinh Quang Kiet's chance of competing for his current position is almost zero. Because even in the U.23 Vietnam, the 1.96 m tall center back has not been able to stay, so the Vietnam national team is still a distant story.

However, training and competing with high-class seniors is still a "once in a lifetime" opportunity for Dinh Quang Kiet. Just living and training together at the national team level helps young players "break out" many things. That experience, even U.23 Southeast Asian champions like Nguyen Hieu Minh, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Le Viktor or Nguyen Phi Hoang... have never experienced.

Dinh Quang Kiet should seize the opportunity to learn and grow. Although the training session only lasts about 10 days, this could be a boost for HAGL's "rough gem" to quickly become a "precious gem".

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doc-la-trung-ve-hagl-cau-thu-cao-nhat-lich-su-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-185250826122646783.htm