Huynh Nhu set to become first Vietnamese woman football player to join European team
By Bryan Ke
Vietnamese football star Huynh Nhu is set to become the first female Vietnamese football player to join a European football team.
Nhu, a 30-year-old forward player and the captain of Vietnam’s women’s national football team, traveled to Portugal on Monday in preparation for signing with Länk FC Vilaverdense, a Portuguese football club, for a two-year contract.
Nhu, whose contract will take effect if she passes her medical, traveled to Portugal a day after helping Ho Chi Minh City Women’s Club 1 win Vietnam’s Women’s Soccer National Cup 2022 on Sunday against Hanoi 1.
Speaking to reporters, Nhu said she is aware of the challenges she may face abroad and hopes that she and Vietnamese football will make an impact overseas.
“I have received much advice. There are people who said I need to learn from the male players who had unsuccessful spells abroad in the past. But recently, Nguyen Quang Hai has left a good impression in France,” Nu said.
“I hope that my image, as well as Vietnamese football, will thrive overseas and there will be more and more female players that can play football abroad.”
Born in the provincial city of Tra Vinh in 1991, Nhu is one of the world’s most prominent Vietnamese football players. She is a top scorer of Vietnam’s women’s football team with 59 goals, and she has won several awards, including the Vietnam Golden Ball award on four occasions.
With her national women’s team, Nhu won gold during the SEA Games in 2017, 2019 and 2022, as well as during the ASEAN Football Federation Championship.
Länk FC had reportedly already offered Nhu and several other Vietnamese football players, including Nguyen Thi Tuyet Nhung and Pham Hai Yen, contracts when the Portuguese team was still in the second division.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and several personal reasons, the players decided to remain in Vietnam, according to reports. After the European team’s promotion to the top division this season, the players might land a spot in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
If Nhu passes her medical and signs her contract with Länk FC, she will be competing in the top division of Campeonato Feminino. She is expected to receive a monthly salary of 1,500 euros (approximately $1,500), which is reportedly three times higher than what she was earning in Ho Chi Minh City Women’s Club 1.
Featured Image via Legends Nation Ph
Share this Article
Share this Article
