Nguyễn Quang Hải has given Vietnamese football fans a lot to cheer about in recent years. Photo tepbao.com

Ha Noi FC and Việt Nam national team star Nguyễn Quang Hải is a magician with a ball at his feet, and his left foot is an absolute wand.

The pint-sized playmaker has given us plenty of incredible moments over the last few years, and with the COVID-19 pandemic taking football off our screens, what better time for a reminder of some of his best pieces of genius?

Mazy run and assist against Thailand

Beautiful skill and end product as Quang Hải flicks the ball over the head of his marker, takes it down and skips past half the Thailand defence before crossing for Nguyễn Hoàng Đức.

The home crowd at Mỹ Đình Stadium loved it as the U23s romped to a 4-0 win in the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers around this time last year.

Flick of the boot

Quang Hải was clearly feeling himself in this match and as the game wound down was simply toying with Thailand, adding this deft piece of skill to a sumptuous performance.

With only minutes left this gorgeous flick sent Đỗ Thanh Thịnh clear down the left side to cross for Trần Phi Sơn to add the cherry on top of the victory.

Control, touch, finish!

The man delivers in the biggest moments, and this superb control then finish against Qatar in the AFC U23 Championship in 2018 sent the semi-final to extra time.

Just incredible composure to take that ball down in traffic, shift it onto the left foot and then curl it home in off the post.

On the volley

The 22-year-old is a dab hand at club level too as this superb goal for Ha No FC against Lam Sơn Nghệ An in the V.League 1 shows.

After beating the offside trap, chesting the ball down and pirouetting, all that’s left to do is thump the ball into the net.

Eye on the ball

A peach of a goal for the senior national team in a World Cup qualifier against Malaysia last year to grab all three points.

Though he’s only about five feet five, Quang Hải watches this high ball down all the way onto his toe and then into the back of the net.

Rainbow in the snow

Of course, no discussion about Quang Hải’s best pieces of genius could be complete without the free-kick in the final of the AFC U23 Championship in snowy China in January 2018.

An inch-perfect strike in the biggest of moments that still gives Vietnamese football fans chills to this day. — VNS