Hoàng Đức gives an interview before the training session. — Photo baonghean.vn

HÀ NỘI — Once fading in the national team jersey under former coach Philippe Troussier, midfielder Nguyễn Hoàng Đức has gradually regained his confidence under the guidance of new coach Kim Sang-sik.

Đức has been the focus of the Vietnamese senior team's three training sessions, always appearing happy and laughing with his teammates and coaching staff, a stark contrast to his demeanor when called up for the national team previously.

Sharing his thoughts on the changes in the team's training sessions under the new South Korean coach, Đức said: "Before training, the team often meet, watch videos, and listen to the coaching staff's tactical plans. Coach Kim always tries to convey the fastest and best strategies to apply in training."

During Monday's training session at the Việt Nam Youth Football Training Centre, Kim focused on carefully honing tactics for the Vietnamese team and evaluating player positions to build the most optimal lineup for the upcoming World Cup qualifier matches against the Philippines and Iraq.

With only five days to prepare for the match against the Philippines, it has been challenging for the entire team to smoothly operate the new tactics and football philosophy under the new head coach. Therefore, Coach Kim is seeking to make the most of available resources to come up with the most suitable solution.

Đức, with his impressive performances and high level of expertise, is considered a key factor in the Vietnamese team at the moment. The reigning Vietnamese Golden Ball winner said, "Currently, I am in my best form. If I get to play, I will play my best. Recently, the head coach has let the whole team experiment and practice many tactical schemes. I think the team need to quickly adapt and grasp the new strategies to prepare for the match with the Philippines on June 6 and give viewers the best performance."

The Vietnamese players seen in a training session. — Photo VFF

It is known that the Philippines team will have many naturalised players in their lineup for the upcoming match, but Đức is confident that the Vietnamese team will have a reasonable response plan, as they have experience playing against Indonesia, a team with a strong core of naturalised players from Europe.

"We played against the Indonesian team, which also had many naturalised players. There's nothing to worry about, we will play our best. To me, every opponent is the same. It's been a long time since the team have won, and this is also the debut of the new coach. We will try to win the upcoming match at the home turf," Đức said. VNS