Strong defender of the Vietnamese team
At the age of 25, Tran Thi Duyen is entering a pivotal stage of her career when she is expected to become a new generation pillar of the Vietnamese women's national team.
After many years of silent efforts, the defender born in 2000 is gradually affirming his position on the wing, marking with a decisive playing style, stable attacking and defending ability and increasingly solid competitive psychology.
For Duyen personally, 2025 is of special significance. It is a milestone marking her return after a long period of struggling with injuries.
“After the injury from 2019, I thought I would not be able to return to the top arena, but I returned strongly. 2025 is a great success for me personally, returning to play more confidently and also the first year I was given the opportunity to start,” Duyen shared.
On the field, Tran Thi Duyen shows the image of a strong player, ready to clash with opponents. The biggest motivation for her is the feeling of wearing the colors of the flag.
When wearing the national team jersey, I always want to play really fiercely and strongly, bringing glory to the country," the female player born in 2000 said.
Outside the football field, the girl from Ha Nam (old) maintains a simple lifestyle, rarely sharing about her personal life. When free, Duyen participates in other sports to relieve pressure such as volleyball, pickleball...
The goal of the defender born in 2000 is to strive to improve every day and participate in major tournaments.
She said: "In 2026, I will try to improve every day, cultivate football knowledge and learn a lot from seniors to become more mature. In the upcoming tournament, we will also be determined to compete to be able to win a ticket to the 2027 World Cup".
Once wanted to stop
Tran Thi Duyen's path to football began quite early, but also with many hardships. Duyen started playing football in 2013 when she was only 13 years old.
At the age of 17, she played for the first team of Phong Phu Ha Nam club. Tran Thi Duyen's appearance on the football field attracted attention because of her bright appearance, beautiful face, and white skin - a rare thing in a female player.
Fame came quite quickly, making the young girl confused: "After that match, I was suddenly shared a lot on social networks. At that time I was very worried because I was young and I wanted people to know that I was a football player rather than being famous for being beautiful. I just wanted people to care about my passion and wanted them to remember me thanks to my football talent.
The attention from outside sometimes makes fans forget Tran Thi Duyen's professional ability. The 25-year-old defender sees this calmly to balance everything and not allow his feet to leave the ground.
However, the biggest challenge in Tran Thi Duyen's career came not from fame but from injuries. In 2019, she went through a long period of treatment, recovery training and lost the pace of development.
Duyen admitted that she once thought she would hardly be able to return to the top playground. Those stages made her consider her future, including other directions besides football. Duyen once shared that she liked the field of spa and beauty, as a career option in the future.
But words of encouragement and determination did not allow Duyen to stop. And now, fans can see the strength and determination of a female defender in the national team jersey.
In addition to the coaching staff at the club, coach Mai Duc Chung is also one of the teachers who guided and gave Tran Thi Duyen many opportunities.
Uncle Chung confided in me many things in football, taught me many shortcomings and encouraged me to strive. He is both a teacher, an uncle, and a father who teaches me many things in life and football.
There is a memory that when I was competing, I had a strong impact, my uncle outside was very worried about me. After finishing training, he always asked me if my limbs hurt, he was very worried, afraid that people would get injured," Duyen confided.
From a young player who became famous early, once facing injuries and thoughts about stopping, Tran Thi Duyen returned to the image of a more mature defender in terms of expertise and psychology, showing the persistence of a female player pursuing professional football.
The road ahead is still full of challenges, but with what has been gone through, Duyen understands that standing firm after times of wanting to give up is the most important thing.
