U23 players need to play in V-League

After shining with the national youth team at international tournaments, many players have had their potential discovered, given the opportunity to compete in the V-League and become important pillars in their home clubs.

Grown up thanks to V-League

In the list of 23 U23 Vietnam players participating in this Southeast Asian U23 Championship, Dinh Bac, Van Khang, Van Truong, Trung Kien, Ly Duc, Thai Son, Phi Hoang, Ngoc My and Viktor Le... are players with a lot of experience in V-League, key players of their home clubs. Among them, many have been called up to the national team by coach Kim Sang-sik despite their young age.

Nguyen Dinh Bac became the best player of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship thanks to his mature playing style, not being afraid of strong opponents and confident in holding the ball and finishing. This 20-year-old player from Nghe An is also an important pillar of the Hanoi Police Club participating in the 2024-2025 V-League. Coach Polking highly appreciated Dinh Bac's ability, repeatedly praising the modern attacking style of play, knowing how to create breakthroughs of this student who is only 20 years old.

Last season, Dinh Bac played 21 times for the police team, scoring 3 goals in all competitions, including the Southeast Asian Cup 1. If he had not been injured, this talent born in 2004 would have been part of the Vietnamese team competing in the ASEAN Cup 2024 or FIFA Days in March and June 2025.

Tuyển thủ U23 cần được thi đấu V-League- Ảnh 1. — Dinh Bac is one of the young talents who regularly plays in the V-League. Photo: VFF

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien and center back Pham Ly Duc are the two leading defenders of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club, contributing greatly to helping the "mountain town" team successfully stay in the V-League. This duo possesses impressive physique and maturity when participating in the V-League.

Trung Kien quickly took the starting position in goal of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Club and had 24 appearances in V-League 2024-2025. Ly Duc is the number 1 choice in the center-back position, playing alongside Jairo to form the defense with the best "air combat" ability in the domestic league. Last season, Ly Duc scored 3 goals in a total of 20 appearances in V-League.

Lack of experience, difficult to show full talent

Most of the U23 Vietnam players have not had many opportunities to compete and perform in the V-League. Teams that focus on competing for achievements are the reason why many young players are not appreciated or cannot compete for a starting position with foreign players and veteran seniors.

Song Lam Nghe An and Hoang Anh Gia Lai are two teams that use many young players in the V-League. They are also two quality football training centers in Vietnam, producing many generations of excellent players for the national teams.

Lack of experience in the V-League arena prevents many young players from fully demonstrating their talents. In order to hone and develop their abilities, many V-League teams accept young players to participate in lower-level tournaments. This is also an opportunity for them to showcase their talents, score points with scouts, and find a way to advance their football careers.

Football expert Doan Minh Xuong analyzed: "A sustainable football development needs a solid foundation, which is focusing on youth training. Currently, many V-League clubs are still superficial in investing and training youth football, causing the team to lose its identity and not be able to survive long term."

According to Mr. Doan Minh Xuong, young players need to be given more opportunities to play in the V-League. The organizing committee should apply a rule requiring teams to use at least 2 U20 players in the squad in a match.

Van Khang (Viettel), Thai Son (Thanh Hoa), Phi Hoang (Da Nang) or Viktor Le (Ha Tinh)... have also created positions and importance in the main squad of their home teams. They are highly appreciated for their professional ability and are an indispensable part in the way the club operates its tactics.