Vietnam's star goalkeeper buys new car for parents

Dang Van Lam's parents take a photo next to the new car that their son bought for them. Photo by Facebook/Dang Van Lam

Lam's parents received their new car in Ho Chi Minh City earlier this week. Olga Jukova, his mother, was emotional and cried on her husband’s shoulder when she received the car.

This is not the first time Lam has bought an expensive automobile for his parents. In 2019, the goalie also gifted his parents a Volkswagen that cost VND1.7 billion ($70,000) when his family was living in Russia.

Lam was born to a Vietnamese father and a Russian mother. He spent his youth playing football at Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Moscow. In 2011, he returned to Vietnam to play for local club Hoang Anh Gia Lai. After unsuccessful spells in Laos and Russia, his career finally took off when he joined northern Vietnam’s Hai Phong FC in 2015.

Dang Van Lam's parents with him in the middle after a V. League game. Photo by Facebook/Dang Van Lam

The 30-year-old has been Vietnam’s number one keeper since 2017, with 40 international appearances to his name.

On the national team, he helped Vietnam win the 2018 AFF Cup, make the quarterfinal of the 2019 Asian Cup, and advance to the third qualifier of the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time in history. He did not join the team at the ongoing Asian Cup in Qatar due to injury.

Lam had spells in Thailand for Muangthong United and Japan for Cerezo Osaka before returning to Vietnam, where he now plays for Binh Dinh FC.