Goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien is one of the most prominent faces of U23 Vietnam after the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals. However, despite receiving attention from Japanese clubs, this player's ability to go abroad is still not possible at the present time.
According to Lao Dong's source, Tran Trung Kien only considers the future after the 2025-2026 V.League season closes. In this period, the goalkeeper born in 2003 prioritizes sticking with Hoang Anh Gia Lai, focusing with the mountain town team on the goal of relegation before considering new choices in his career.
About two months ago, some teams from Japan actively approached Hoang Anh Gia Lai to explore the possibility of transferring Tran Trung Kien. However, the parties have not made a final decision. Currently, this goalkeeper is still considered an irreplaceable pillar in the squad of the Pleiku stadium team.
In V.League, Tran Trung Kien left a strong impression with a series of important saves, contributing to helping Hoang Anh Gia Lai win key points. In particular, he played prominently in matches against Hanoi FC and Dong A Thanh Hoa, thereby affirming his number one position in goal.
A stable performance at club level helped Tran Trung Kien be called up to U23 Vietnam and the Vietnamese national team. He made his debut for the national team at the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Previously, at SEA Games 33, this goalkeeper officiated all matches and together with U22 Vietnam won the gold medal in men's football.
At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals, Tran Trung Kien continued to show impressive form, especially in the confrontations with U23 Jordan and U23 Saudi Arabia. His excellent performances made an important contribution to helping U23 Vietnam successively overcome UAE to win the right to enter the semi-finals. In the third-place match, despite conceding 3 goals, this goalkeeper still could hardly take responsibility when the defense played below par.
Tran Trung Kien grew up from Hoang Anh Gia Lai youth training academy, was promoted to the first team at the age of 18 and started to take regular starting positions from the 2024-2025 season. In that season, he played 24 matches, playing an important role in the relegation journey of the mountain town team.
