Overseas Vietnamese star says something that draws attention on the day of Vietnam national team gathering.

After a three-year wait, goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang has officially reported to the Vietnam national team, ready to vie for a starting role and target the 2026 ASEAN Cup.

After many years of waiting, the afternoon of June 22 became a special milestone in the career of the goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang when he officially joined the Vietnam national team at the Grand Plaza Hotel (Hanoi), preparing for the campaign to defend the ASEAN Cup 2026 title. After a period of rest with his family in Slovakia, the goalkeeper born in 1992 was one of the last players to arrive in this training camp, but also a figure who received much attention from fans.

For Patrik Le Giang, this appearance is not simply a team gathering but also the realization of a dream that has followed him for many years. Sharing on the first day of wearing the national team jersey, the goalkeeper currently under contract with Ho Chi Minh City Police FC could not hide his emotion: "I am proud to wear the Vietnam national team jersey for the first time. I have been waiting for this day for three years. This has been my dream since I first set foot in Vietnam."

Patrik Le Giang's journey to the Vietnam national team was not easy. Previously, he was named in the preliminary list for the March training camp but was unable to attend because the procedures for transferring federations with FIFA were not yet completed. This caused the 33-year-old goalkeeper to miss the opportunity to participate in the match against Malaysia. However, all legal obstacles have now been resolved, opening the door for Patrik to officially become eligible to play for the Vietnam national team.

The presence of Patrik Le Giang also helps increase competition in the team's goal. In this training camp, coach Kim Sang Sik called up three goalkeepers: Dang Van Lam, Tran Trung Kien, and Patrik Le Giang. Among them, Nguyen Filip could not attend because he is with Hanoi Police FC preparing for the AFC Champions League Elite playoff match. Nevertheless, Patrik still had kind words for his close colleague.

"Filip has been my friend since we played in Europe. His absence from the national team this time is the head coach's decision. This is professional football; Filip is also about to play in the Asian Cup with his club. Wishing all the best to Filip. Hope he returns to the Vietnam national team soon," Patrik shared. Besides, the Slovakian-born goalkeeper also affirmed his determination to compete for the starting spot based on his own abilities: "I will give my utmost effort. The arrangement is up to the coaching staff."

According to the plan, the Vietnam national team will start training from June 23 before heading to South Korea for a training camp from July 2 to 14. After the overseas training trip, Coach Kim Sang Sik and his players will return to the country to play a friendly match against Myanmar in Thai Nguyen on July 18. With the inclusion of new faces like Patrik Le Giang, Ngo Dang Khoa, and Nguyen Tai Loc, the Vietnam national team is expected to have greater squad depth to aim for successfully defending the ASEAN Cup 2026 title.