Vietnam U22's No.1 goalkeeper speaks out about rumors of moving to Japan to play

Goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien has addressed the rumors regarding his upcoming transfer to Japan.

Recently, there have been many reports suggesting that goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien (HAGL) might transfer to Japan to play after a J-League club expressed interest in recruiting him. However, in a brief interview with the media in Thailand on the afternoon of December 2, Trung Kien denied these rumors and revealed that this was actually just... a joke. Specifically, when a reporter asked about "the move to Japan is just a joke, right?", Trung Kien nodded and responded: "Yes, it's just a joke!"

The year 2024 is considered a successful season for the goalkeeper born in 2003, both in the national team and at the club level. Early this year, Trung Kien helped Vietnam's national team win the 2024 AFF Cup. Although he was not the starting goalkeeper, it was an opportunity for the young player to learn and gain experience from senior teammates. Mid-year, Kien played a major role in winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship with the Vietnam U23 team, then helped keep a clean sheet in the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers.

At HAGL club, Trung Kien has been a rare bright spot amid the team's unstable performance since the start of the season, notably in an outstanding match against Hanoi FC in the second round of the V-League.

Currently, Trung Kien is fully focused on the Vietnam U22 team competing in SEA Games 33. Given his performance and achievements so far, the starting goalkeeper position at this tournament is unlikely to slip from the 1.91m tall keeper.

Sharing his goals for his first SEA Games appearance, Trung Kien said: "SEA Games is a dream not only for me but for every young player. Entering the SEA Games, the Vietnam U22 team has only one goal – to win the championship."

Related articles

Vietnam U22 vs Laos U22: Securing the first 3 points Vietnam U22 and Laos U22 officially kicked off the men's football tournament of SEA Games 33 today. The team led by coach Kim Sang-sik is rated higher and is likely to secure all 3 points. See more