Not just height
4 years ago, in a room full of equipment at a hotel in Indonesia, Dinh Quang Kiet watched the English Premier League while diligently pumping each ball for the U16 Vietnam team.
A height of 1m95 is a big plus for him to be called up by coach Nguyen Quoc Tuan. However, because his legs are still clumsy, and his playing experience is almost zero, this player has to play the role of... "logist" in the national team.
Quang Kiet was called by assistant Nguyen Quang Hai with a rather interesting nickname "dinosaur". Indeed, his height almost reaching the ceiling was enough for any opponent studying U16 Vietnam at that time to pay attention.
However, the skill set was still modest, causing Quang Kiet to only be able to sit in the stands watching his teammates compete, in the journey to win the Silver medal at the 2022 U16 Southeast Asian Championship.
Dinh Quang Kiet does not give up. Before being present at U16 Vietnam, the young man from Thai Binh once experienced such hardships when pursuing his football dream. Kiet's family is not well-off, with the main job being the traditional scarf weaving profession left by his grandparents. His parents had to sell hammocks and work part-time to earn a living.
At the same time, Kiet participated in the recruitment exam at PVF center. At that time, although only 11 years old, Quang Kiet was already over 1m60 tall. Thanks to that innate stature, the guy born in 2007 quickly surpassed many opponents to enter the top 6 of the final qualifying round. Ironically, due to the yard conditions not meeting the standards, PVF Center decided to cancel that selection round.
Family circumstances plus the disappointment in the first time pursuing the dream of wearing shorts and jerseys made Kiet and his whole family decide to go to Vung Tau to hope to change their lives.
Fate pleased people. His parents found a stable job with an income just enough to live on at a factory. Meanwhile, thanks to his height of more than 1m70 when he was in 8th grade, Quang Kiet was selected by U13 Ba Ria - Vung Tau, before catching the eye of the scouts of Hoang Anh Gia Lai.
Dad's dream, hope in you
You have to try, make efforts. When you become talented, come back and build a house for your parents, okay!, Quang Kiet still remembers the message and expectations that his father gave him after he decided to go to Hoang Anh Gia Lai to pursue a professional football career.
Up to now, Kiet's decision is correct. The 4-year journey with this player has also witnessed commendable leaps. In addition to his height advantage, his eagerness to progress is a plus for this guy.
According to the assessment of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai coaching staff, Kiet is obedient and hardworking in daily life, strives to practice and progress whenever given the opportunity to play. Especially, in each tactical meeting, Kiet pays attention to each lecture and analysis of the assistants and head coaches. He even volunteers to share and exchange with the coaches when allowed.
Last year, when he was only 17 years old, this player was registered for the first team of Hoang Anh Gia Lai. At the end of the second leg, in the context of Ly Duc's injury, Quang Kiet had the opportunity to play in some matches. He started 6 times in a total of 9 rounds participating in the V.League.
This season, because Ly Duc moved to Hanoi Police, the player from Thai Binh was classified by the coaching staff into the main group of the club. 24/26 rounds witnessed "dinosaurs" present on the field. More notably, Quang Kiet made 23 appearances in the starting lineup.
Not only at the club level, Quang Kiet has also made much progress in national teams. If 4 years ago, he was only a substitute in the 2005-2007 generation playing at U16 Vietnam, currently, Kiet is the only player in the above generation to participate in the national team towards the ASEAN Cup 2026.
Coach Kim Sang-sik chose him not only because of the long-term plan for U23 Vietnam towards SEA Games 2027 or the 2028 AFC U23 Championship finals. He really wants to maximize the rare height of this center-back, especially set pieces in the upcoming tournament.
Who knows, if at a moment when the Vietnamese team is deadlocked, Quang Kiet takes advantage of his height of 1m95 to convert opportunities into goals. At that time, Kiet's life may turn a new page and the dream of building a house for his parents is not far away...
