Xuan Truong once suffered from heart disease.

Luong Xuan Truong continues to reveal untold stories about his career journey in his own podcast on social media. In the latest sharing from the former Hoang Anh Gia Lai player, fans learn part of the reason why he is often considered to have weak physical fitness.

He had heart disease before.

"In the past, I've had problems related to my cardiovascular system. I discovered this problem when I was a young player, 16-17 years old. For example, when I accidentally performed a movement that caused my body to suddenly jolt, I would experience 'palpitations' and my heart rate would double. Later, I learned that this was supraventricular tachycardia, a type of arrhythmia ," Xuan Truong revealed.

Xuan Truong has previously had cardiovascular problems. (Photo: Incheon United)

The midfielder, born in 1995, discussed the issue with coach Guillaume Graechen and the medical team at HAGL Club to find a solution. However, even at the hospital, doctors could not detect any problems. Xuan Truong's cardiovascular examination results were normal.

"Usually, athletes with cardiovascular problems are advised to stop all sports activities. I was very afraid that if the coaches knew, they wouldn't let me play football anymore or that I would be expelled from the academy, so I decided to keep it a secret. Usually, when I felt that way during training, I would ask to go to the restroom. Many days I would go into the restroom and just lie down on the floor. Sometimes my heart rate would drop, sometimes it wouldn't, and I had to maintain that state for the rest of the training session," Xuan Truong recounted.

The player, currently playing for Hai Phong FC, said that when he went to South Korea to play for Incheon United, his cardiovascular problems worsened. After discussing this with Incheon United's medical staff, Xuan Truong was immediately taken to the hospital.

"Upon arriving at the hospital, I was taken to the emergency room. I chose not to lie down but to sit because I was afraid that if I lay down, the rapid heartbeat would disappear and the doctors wouldn't detect the symptom. Fortunately, the doctors discovered it. I had to undergo endoscopic surgery to completely resolve the issue," Xuan Truong recalled.

Xuan Truong has never been a physically fit player. Even though he has completely resolved his heart issues, the midfielder hasn't significantly improved his inherent weakness. Furthermore, injuries have also negatively impacted his physical condition. This makes it difficult for him to play at a high intensity for an entire match, or in multiple consecutive matches.

Busy signing contracts, got scolded by coach Miura.

Another story related to Xuan Truong's overseas stint involves him being reprimanded in front of the entire team by coach Toshiya Miura, who was then leading the Vietnam U23 team.

Xuan Truong was once scolded by coach Toshiya Miura.

Xuan Truong's first overseas stint was when he joined Incheon United (South Korea) on loan from HAGL in 2016. The South Korean club sent representatives to Vietnam to sign the contract and conduct a medical examination for the midfielder. This was also around the time the Vietnam U23 team – which included Xuan Truong – was training in Ho Chi Minh City.

"That afternoon, the whole team had a training session at Thong Nhat Stadium. That afternoon, I went to a press conference, signed a contract, and had a medical check-up to complete the necessary procedures. The schedule was so hectic that I didn't even have time for lunch. After finishing everything, I went straight to the training ground."

"I was about 10-15 minutes late. Then Coach Miura called me out and scolded me. He said, 'I don't care where you go, what you do, which team you sign a contract with, whether it's in Japan or Korea. I don't care. I don't approve of you being late for training like this.' That was one of the rare times in my career I was scolded so harshly in front of the whole team, and it was also the first time I was late for a training session," Xuan Truong recounted.

Xuan Truong continued to train with the team after the incident. He was also included in the Vietnam U23 squad for the 2016 AFC U23 Asian Championship finals.

Phuong Mai

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