Đặng Văn Lâm began his career with Hoang Anh Gia Lai, but after early promise he was loaned out to the sister team in Laos and his progress stalled. Văn Lâm then returned to his birthplace to join teams in the lower divisions of Russian football, and in 2015 he rejoined Vietnam Hải Phòng.[2] After failing to get a game his first season he became a starter for the 2016 season and earned a surprise call up shortly after for the national team by coach Toshiya Miura.[2]
Văn Lâm's greatest strength is his height and his arm span is nearly two meters(1.93), but he is hampered by slow reflexes and hesitancy to rush off his line. His u-19 coach Triệu Quang Hà said that Văn Lâm has potential but he has to improve his game if he wishes to play regularly.[2]
In September 2017, after an incident with Lê Sỹ Mạnh, one of the club's staffs, and other defenders in Hai Phong, Văn Lâm left and returned to Russia. The contract lasted for a year before he returned to the club.
On January 27, 2021, FIFA temporarily granted Văn Lâm an ITC (international transfer certificate),[4][5][6] paving the way for him to sign a contract with Cerezo Osaka.[7][8][9] On January 30, 2021, Japanese club Cerezo Osaka announced the successful signing of Đặng Văn Lâm.[10][11][12] He officially became the first Vietnamese player to play for a J1 League club, the top tier of Japanese football.[13][14]
Đặng Văn Lâm signed a three-year contract with Topenland Bình Định on August 15, 2022,[21][22][23] but was unable to make his V-League 2022 debut due to an injury in training on August 24,[24][25] Prior to that, he contracted COVID-19 and missed the match in round 13 against Thanh Hóa.[26] He helped Bình Định win 3–0 away to Hà Nội in round 15 on the evening of September 2 and helped them beat Viettel to reach the semi-finals of the 2022 National Cup thanks to a penalty shootout.[27] In the 2023–24 V.League 1 season, Văn Lâm was chosen by Bình Định's head coach Bùi Đoàn Quang Huy to be the new team captain. He appeared in 19 league games during the season as the team finished as V.League's runners-up for the first time in the history.[28]
Phù Đổng Ninh Bình
On 13 August 2024, Văn Lâm joined LPBank Hồ Chí Minh City in the V.League 2, signing a four-year contract.[29] However, a month later, the entire LPBank HCMC players and staffs was swapped with the ones of Phù Đổng Ninh Bình, resulting in Văn Lâm's move to the club.[30]
International career
He began to play for Vietnam's national team in 2015 as Vietnam was seeking players of Vietnamese descent abroad. Together with Czech-born Mạc Hồng Quân, he is one of two prominent overseas Vietnamese players selected to the national team.
In June 2017, he made his debut on the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Jordan at Ho Chi Minh City, where his ability helped to keep a clean sheet as the match ended 0–0. He was praised for his skills.[31] However, it was not until the 2018 AFF Championship that his potential had earned him reputation, helping Vietnam to conquer Southeast Asia after ten years from their maiden title.
He became instrumental in Vietnam's current 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification 2nd round where he produced a strong performance, including a phenomenon foot-like penalty save in Vietnam's crucial game against rival Thailand at home which has been compared to Igor Akinfeev's penalty save against Spain in 2018 FIFA World Cup due to similar save.[33] In the second half of the second round qualification, Dang Van Lam had to withdraw from the roster after one of his teammate in Cerezo Osaka contracted COVID-19.[34]
Personal life
Đặng Văn Lâm was born in Moscow to a Vietnamese father Đặng Văn Sơn and a Russian mother Olga Zhukova. Both of his parents were involved in performing arts, with his mother being a former ballet dancer.[2] He also has two siblings, a younger brother and a younger sister.[35] His Russian name, Lev, is contributed to his mother's passionate admiration to the legend Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, whom himself also admired.[36]
He has been in a relationship with Bùi Thị Yến Xuân since 2018, whom he married in Nha Trang on 7 July 2024.[37]
Although greatly influenced by family's artistic involvement, he chose to follow football instead. He is known for his good singing voice.[38] He can speak three languages, Vietnamese, Russian and English.
He is an Orthodox Christian, often prayed in the cross as a sign of his belief, making him the first Vietnamese Orthodox Christian footballer in the national team.[39][40]
As a half-Russian, he is also a fan of Russia national football team. He typically salutes the national team in the style of Artem Dzyuba, who is also an idol for Đặng Văn Lâm himself.[41]
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