Midfielder Nguyen Minh Phuong, who is playing for SHB Da Nang in the national premier league, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2015 football season to become a coach. — Photo doisong.vn

HA NOI (VNS) — Midfielder Nguyen Minh Phuong, who is playing for SHB Da Nang in the national premier league, has announced he will retire at the end of the 2015 football season to become a coach.

The 35-year-old Phuong was former captain of the Viet Nam national football team. In 2007, he captained the Vietnamese team to the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, ending their run in the tournament in the quarter-finals.

An engine in central midfield for both club and country, Phuong is known for his technical passing, kick-offs, and showed versatility by often playing as a fullback, midfielder or even forward.

In 2010, he became the most-capped Vietnamese footballer in the history of the national team with 73 caps, followed by Le Huynh Duc with 66 caps. — VNS