HÀ NỘI - Nguyễn Quang Hải enjoyed a happy end to 2018 winning the Golden Ball award for the best player of the year.

The Hà Nội FC midfielder beat striker Nguyễn Anh Đức of Becamex Bình Dươngand Phan Văn Đức from Sông Lam Nghệ An to take the statuetop prize.

 "It is a great award in life of a player,” he said.

 “I will use it to push harder in the new year for my club and the country. Thank you for voting for me, big thanks for my coaches, teammates and supporters." 

 Hải, 21, won the V League with Hà Nội FC and was key in the club’s victory.

 In the national teams, he impressed with the U23 who won silver at the Asian Championship in January. 

Together with teammates he finished fourth at the Asian Games in August. And last week the national team won the AFF Cup while he picked up Most Valuable Player at the tournament.

 He is also on top 10 players to watch list at January’s Asian Cup by the Asian Football Confederation.

 On Friday, he received the national Labour Order, second class, awarded by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

 Former national midfielder Nguyễn Hồng Sơn said: "Hải deserves to win the Golden Ball. I have been watching him and see that he played well in his club, the youth team and the national squad. He always does his best whenever on the field. He is the most important player of every team."

 Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Dung of Phong Phú Hà Nam FC won the Golden Ball for women.

Đoàn Văn Hậu of  Hà Nội FC was the best young male player and Nguyễn Thị TuyếtNgân of HCM City picked up the prize in the female category.

 Nguyễn Công Phượng of Hoàng Anh Gia Lai took the award for most favourite player for the second year in a row.

 Organisers also presented Ganiyu Bolayi Oseni the best foreign player award while Vũ Quốc Hưng of Thái Sơn Nam was voted best futsal player. 

The Vietnamese Golden Ball Award first started in 1995 by Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn) newspaper with coaches, experts and journalists voting for the best players. - VNS