Nam Dinh Club's new recruit, over 2 meters tall: 'I didn't come to replace Xuan Son'

Striker Kyle Hudlin is confident of bringing new color to Nam Dinh Club's attack in V-League 2025 - 2026.

Quality rookie of Nam Dinh Club

At the Nam Dinh Club's departure ceremony this morning (August 14), rookie Kyle Hudlin was one of the most prominent faces. Hudlin was born in 2000 and is 2.06 m tall. He is the tallest player currently playing in the V-League.

In the National Super Cup, Kyle Hudlin had a memorable debut with a double against Hanoi Police Club (CAHN Club). Although Nam Dinh lost 2-3, this was still a promising start for the striker who used to play in England.

Newcomer Kyle Hudlin of Nam Dinh Club

PHOTO: NAM DINH CLUB

"I chose to come to Nam Dinh Club because this team has won the V-League for two consecutive seasons. They are a winning team and I am also very hungry for victory. We share a common vision. I want to win the V-League championship for the third consecutive season with the team. Both personal and collective goals are to focus on this season, try our best and achieve what is ahead," Kyle Hudlin commented.

Tallest striker in V-League history: Makes every opponent look small when standing next to him

Hudlin has an impressive resume, having played for many teams in the English professional leagues such as Huddersfield Town, AFC Wimbledon, Burton Albion or Newport County. The striker born in 2000 played 112 matches, scoring 19 goals.

"After the National Super Cup match, I think Vietnamese football and V-League are of very good quality, harsh and high intensity. It gives me a completely different experience than before, so I need time to adapt and apply my playing style. I am looking forward to this challenge.

In England, the style of play is physical, the players are usually big, strong and fierce in competition. But here, especially at Nam Dinh Club, the players are very technical, moving quickly and sharply. In England, only a few small and agile players stand out, the majority are strong and play with a tendency to collide," Kyle Hudlin confided.

'I am not the one to replace Xuan Son'

Thanh Nien asked Kyle Hudlin: "You were brought in to fill the void left by Nguyen Xuan Son in the attack. Does that put pressure on you?"

The striker who used to play in England explained: "I don't consider myself a replacement for Xuan Son. I bring my own style of play, creating a different color for Nam Dinh Club. Actually, football only has so many positions. Everyone can replace each other. If one person doesn't play, another will come on the field. I just focus on enjoying football, playing my best and letting everything happen naturally."

Nam Dinh Club organized the departure and jersey launch on the morning of August 14.

PHOTO: NAM DINH CLUB

Kyle Hudlin added: "I talked to Xuan Son. He also talked to the whole team, giving us suggestions to help us work together better. When he returns to the team, we will have the opportunity to talk more and understand each other better."

Nam Dinh FC is in an attack crisis as Xuan Son and Van Toan are both out of action until the end of 2025 to recover from injuries. Speaking at the team departure ceremony, coach Vu Hong Viet expressed concern about the lack of strikers. He also emphasized that Nam Dinh's current squad is not strong enough to compete in four competitions, including the V-League, National Cup, ASEAN Club Championship and AFC Champions League 2.

"Van Toan and Xuan Son are two quality players. Son has not returned yet, and Toan has just had surgery, which is a big loss for the whole team. If both of them are healthy, the squad will be thicker, and we will have many better attacking options.

Nam Dinh's squad is not yet strong, but we will try our best to add more foreign players. Hopefully the whole team will do well in both domestic and international competitions," said coach Vu Hong Viet.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tan-binh-cao-2-m-cua-clb-nam-dinh-toi-khong-den-de-thay-xuan-son-185250814151530135.htm