Former midfielder Phan Quy Hoang Lam has died at the age of 36. Photo toquoc.vn

A teammate from the national team said Lam had suffered a stroke.

The news has shocked many football fans.

Lam was born in 1984 into a footballing family. He was only 1.6m tall but possessed good dribbling and passing skills.

He became a key player for his hometown team Binh Dinh, helping them to finish third in V.League 1 in 2006, before moving to Dong Tam Long An under future Vietnamese national team coach Henrique Calisto.

The Portuguese coach later took over the national team and led them to victory at the AFF Cup 2008.

Lam was called up to the squad but did not make an appearance.

When Dong Tam Long An were relegated in 2011, Lam returned to Binh Dinh before retiring.

In 2012, he got married and moved away from football.

Lam's younger brother is the famous table tennis player Phan Hoang Tuong Giang who played for the Ministry of Public Security and the national team for many years.  VNS