Early attraction
In the strategy of searching for overseas Vietnamese players playing abroad (including Vietnamese nationality), the scouting team of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) discovered Alex Bui.
Through a conversation with the VFF and representatives of the U22 coaching staff, this striker decided to return to his hometown from the Czech Republic.
Born in 2005, Alex Bui can be considered a typical factor of Gen Z. He is straightforward, individual, and dares to express his own thoughts.
Talking to the press as soon as he was called up to U22 Vietnam, Alex Bui maintained a firm stance: "I have Vietnamese nationality. But I did not think I would play for V.League clubs.
My goal is to play in Europe. The greatest players in world football history also play here.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not currently playing for any team in Portugal. But he is still the captain of the Portuguese team. Therefore, I did not think that I had to compete in the V.League to have the opportunity to compete for the Vietnam team".
Rarely has any overseas Vietnamese player made such a strong statement as Alex Bui. Immediately after that statement, many mixed opinions on social media immediately turned to the 20-year-old player. Even so, Alex Bui was not shaken by criticism or extreme opinions.
At the time of the first day of the U22 Vietnam team, Alex Bui continued to say: "I am confident in my technique. I don't know much about Vietnamese players and football.
But I affirm that I will strive for the 33rd SEA Games. I personally exchanged a lot of things for this trip such as stopping studying and missing a few club matches. The head coach of the team told me to try to perform my best."
Persistent player
Alex Bui's strong personality is not only expressed through straightforward statements, but also expressed through his arms with tattoos that create a unique, unconventional quality.
Alex Bui has reason to be confident. His good playing skills with both feet and agile physique were demonstrated by this striker in the first days of training at U22 Vietnam.
One note is that before receiving the ball, Alex Bui often has the habit of observing from many sides. This helps him be more proactive in controlling the surrounding space when he has the ball in his feet. That is a plus point that the U22 Vietnam coaching staff highly appreciates for this striker.
Alex Bui is confident but not complacent. Like many other teammates at U22 Vietnam, he maintains his awareness and professionalism in activities and training. Under the heat in Hanoi over the past 2 days, Alex Bui has been practicing tirelessly.
"He practiced very determinedly. The fiery and enthusiastic spirit is what I saw from Alex Bui in the early days. He is also very open. Speaking Vietnamese helps Alex communicate quite a lot with his teammates, both inside and outside the field," said central defender Pham Ly Duc.
Of course, Alex Bui will still need time to practice more tactics. Acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his colleagues will continue to guide Alex Bui to develop and perfect his skills.
An advantage for Alex Bui is that he received support from Viktor Le. The experience of integrating with U22 Vietnam in the training session 3 months ago is something that Viktor Le wants to pass on to his younger brother 2 years younger than him.
In the early stages of the U22 Vietnam team, Viktor Le was arranged by Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh to train with Alex Bui. As both overseas Vietnamese players born and raised from European football, Viktor Le understands the initial limitations that Alex Bui will have to go through.
This player chatted quite a lot, instructing Alex Bui to get acquainted with his teachers and teammates at U22 Vietnam. The appearance of an already more experienced brother at U22 Vietnam also helps Alex Bui gain more confidence in the process of integrating with the team.
