V-League club Hoang Anh Gia Lai chairman Doan Nguyen Duc (L) and Lee Nguyen in the contract signing ceremony last year

V-League club Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) has decided to end its contract with Vietnamese American Lee Nguyen on disciplinary grounds, club chairman Doan Nguyen Duc said on Thursday.

When his practice time at the London club ended on October 10, Lee asked the V-League club to let him fly to the US for a two-week vacation with his family in Dallas.

However, five weeks have passed and HAGL has not heard from the 23-year-old midfielder, Duc said.

“HAGL really needs excellent young players, but for me a player must have proper conduct besides talent. Though he is a star, his indiscipline is unacceptable.”

Lee moved to HAGL from Danish club Randers in January this year on a three-year contract with a monthly salary of US$10,000 plus bonuses. In the 2009 season, Lee scored 12 goals for the club.

According to a member of the club, Lee’s father came to HAGL headquarters in Pleiku Town in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai to collect all Lee’s belongings without giving a reason.

Commenting on rumors that a club in the south has invited Lee to play for it in the 2010 season, Duc said, “If it is true, they (that club and Lee) can hardly be satisfied because Lee still belongs to HAGL legally.”

Source: Tuoi Tre