Van Lam once conceding 13 goals a game, almost gave up football to become a soldier  

The memory conceded 13 goals in a day has never fade. The goalkeeper, 26, said: "I was about 8 or 9 years old then. The coach of the school I attended had a relationship with Spartak Moscow (the famous Russian club). He invited the team to play in a friendly match and we lost 0-13. That day, I was the goalkeeper ".

That match was a stepping stone for Van Lam to join Spartak Moscow. Outstanding height compared to his peers is the initial condition for Van Lam to be chosen.

Van Lam recalled a happy memory: "My parents let me choose my own path. I remember the first day of training at the new team, my father drove me to the training ground and he screamed wildly on the sideline when I was training like he was a coach.”

However, Van Lam's career was not successful. At the age of 15, he moved to Dynamo Moscow because there was no place in Spartak Moscow. 4 years later, Van Lam was extremely disappointed because he could not sign a professional contract.

"Me and my friends were disappointed because when we were 18 years old, if we didn't go to school or work, we would often become a soldier," Van Lam said.

Fortunately for Van Lam, thanks to the relationship of his father, Van Lam came to Vietnam to seek opportunities. HAGL is the first club in Vietnam to sign a professional contract with Van Lam.

"This is the first time I have left home so long. I missed my family very much. I was determined to become a professional soccer player. I love football. Dad would be proud if one day I play for Vietnam national team. Therefore, I have to be patient and fight the loneliness in my heart," Van Lam shared.

However, Van Lam's journey at HAGL was also not peaceful. He was pushed to Laos to play for a team in the league here, sponsored by Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group. In 2014, he left HAGL and returned to Russia to join some lesser-known clubs. A few months, he went to Thailand to try a job at Suphanburi FC. The outcome was still going back to Russia.

"At that time, I thought that if I wasn't a professional football player, I still wanted to do something about it. I tried to go to college, study science related to sports," Van Lam said.

An important turning point in Dang Van Lam's career came in 2015 when he joined Hai Phong. Although the sad story in the middle of 2017 was still an unforgettable memory, it could not deny that this place has given Van Lam a chance to become a No. 1 goalkeeper in Vietnam at the present time.

In 2018, Van Lam's last year in Hai Phong, he had the best season in his V.League career before winning the AFF Cup with the Vietnamese team. In early 2019, he continued with the national team to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup before signing a 3-year contract with Muangthong United, the famous club of Thailand.

The Covid-19 epidemic brought Thai football to a halt in early 2020, leading to a series of rumors about the 26-year-old goalkeeper's future. Finally, Van Lam still asserts: "I try my best every day, every training session, every match. I hope this year will continue to be a good season between me and Muangthong United.”