Vietnamese overseas Tran Thanh Trung officially joins U23 Vietnam

Following a period of demonstrating his capabilities with Ninh Bình, Vietnamese overseas midfielder Tran Thanh Trung has been summoned by coach Kim Sang Sik to the U23 Vietnam squad for preparations ahead of the friendly competition in China.

On the official website, Ninh Bình Club announced that the trio of players Tran Thanh Trung, Le Van Thuận, and Nguyen Le Phát are among those named in the team's list. U23 Vietnam for the first training camp in 2026.

While Van Thuận and Le Phát are familiar faces in the U23 Vietnam team, having participated in major tournaments such as the SEA Games or the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, Thanh Trung has yet had the opportunity to play in official competitions with the red-shirted squad.

In the Ninh Bình Club jersey, Tran Thanh Trung has shown remarkable growth and improvement this season. He played 13 matches for Ninh Bình across all competitions, scoring 1 goal and providing 2 assists. Additionally, in some friendly matches, the midfielder born in 2005 has consistently shone.

The three players will be given full support to focus and compete with the national team. Specifically, right after the quarter-final match of the 2025/26 National Cup between Ninh Bình FC and PVF-CAND on March 21st, the three young players from the Ancient Capital's club will depart to join the coaching staff and teammates. Having teammates like Van Thuận or Le Phát also helps Thanh Trung integrate more easily with the national team members.

Besides the trio from Ninh Bình, many other players have also been called up, including: Minh Tâm, Quang Kiệt (HAGL), Thai Ba Dat, Nguyen Bao Long, and Nguyen Anh Tuấn (PVF-CAND), Xuan Trường (Nam Định), Le Dinh Long Vu, Cao Van Bình (SLNA)...

According to the plan, U23 Vietnam will participate in the CFA Team China International Football Tournament — Xi'an 2026, held in Xi'an city (China) from March 25th to March 31st, 2026.