Coming into the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup as one of the favourites brings with it a degree of pressure but one of Vietnam’s young stars has a unique perspective on just what it takes to win the tournament.

A month after his 12^th birthday, Do Duy Manh was pitchside in Hanoi as Vietnam completed a 3-2 aggregate win to lift their first – and to date, only – AFF Suzuki Cup trophy.

He was there not as a supporter but rather with the best seat in the house – as a ball boy – and it was that moment, in front of 40,000 delirious fans, that shored up his desire to one day also pull on the famed red shirt of Vietnam.

“At that time I was still a young boy but I was lucky because I was a ball boy in that match and as a young player it was such an amazing memory.

“From that moment I always hoped that I’d too have the chance one day to play at the AFF Suzuki Cup and win the title.”

That is precisely the situation he now finds himself in as Vietnam prepare to get things underway against Laos in Vientiane on Thursday.

With tens of thousands of Vietnamese living in the Laotian capital the 22-year-old defender is confident that the Golden Stars will have vocal backing.

“I was really happy when I heard that there will be a lot of Vietnamese supporters at the game and for sure that’s good motivation for us.

“Although we get a lot of pressure from the fans it’s the reason why we are here and it’s our responsibility to bring the title to Vietnam so it’s pressure on one hand but also an honour on the other.”