" I received a lot of advice at that time. My parents wanted me to return home because they were very sad to see me playing away from home and getting injured and having no one to take care of me. However, my parents emphasized that the decision was up to me. As for Cong Phuong, with his experience, he told me to stay and choose another team ," Van Toan shared.
The time playing at Seoul E-Land is always engraved in Van Toan's mind. After his contract with HAGL expired at the end of 2022, the player from Hai Duong decided to go abroad and join a Korean team.
Van Toan during his time playing for Seoul E-Land.
At first, Van Toan was arranged to play continuously. However, he gradually lost his position and was completely absent since June. In total, he only played 9 matches, of which 4 were starting matches at Seoul E-Land. The former HAGL player did not score any goals in K-League 2.
Van Toan said he adapted well to the environment and teammates. However, continuous injuries caused him to lose the opportunity to prepare initially with the team.
Besides, Van Toan expressed regret for going abroad late. He said: " When exposed to an environment where everyone was professional from a young age, I felt I was at a disadvantage. That disadvantage was right from the beginning of becoming a professional player, in terms of how to train and practice ."
" I wish I had come here when I was younger, not now. That makes me regret a lot ," the striker of the Vietnamese national team confided.
During the national team training session in September, Coach Troussier advised Van Toan and Cong Phuong to find ways to play more. The striker born in 1996 said he had also thought about leaving Seoul E-Land before that.
" Actually, after the time I had an injury to my hand (July), I thought about returning to Vietnam without Coach Troussier saying anything. If I returned to Vietnam, I would regret it because I had worked so hard to get to Korea. That made me think a lot.
During the training session, Coach Troussier talked to me. At that time, I also intended to return to Vietnam. I thought I didn't have much time left to compete at the top level, and I was getting old so I couldn't wait any longer. I decided to return ," Van Toan revealed further.
Van Toan returned to Vietnam to play for Nam Dinh FC ahead of the 2023/2024 V.League. Van Toan's continued regular play helped him be included in the November gathering. Meanwhile, Cong Phuong still plays for Yokohama FC but does not get to play. He was not called up to the Vietnam national team to prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Hoai Duong
Source
Comment (0)