Coach Heng Witthaya Laohakul opens up about seeing Nicholas Mickelson become the second Thai player to compete in Germany's Bundesliga after himself, and discusses the qualities needed to progress to bigger clubs in the future. Tags: [Coach Heng, Nicholas Mickelson, Bundesliga, Thai football, player qualities]
Coach Heng Witthaya Laohakul was the first Thai footballer in history to play in Germany's Bundesliga during 1979–1980, over 47 years ago. The second Thai to showcase his skills there is Nicholas Mickelson with Elversberg in the 2026–2027 season.Tags: [Witthaya Laohakul, Nicholas Mickelson, Bundesliga history, Thai football]
I had the opportunity to speak with Coach Heng in his office at Chonburi Stadium while covering the Thailand U20 team at the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. I asked him about his feelings and the advice he wishes to pass on to younger players...Tags: [Interview, Coach Heng, Thailand U20, Asian Cup, football advice]
Coach Heng revealed, "First of all, I have to say I envy Japan and South Korea. For example, Japan initially had only Yasuhiko Okudera, their first player in the Bundesliga, who inspired Japanese youth. Since then, every year players have gone to play there, with some even winning Bundesliga titles."Tags: [Coach Heng, Japan football, Bundesliga inspiration, Yasuhiko Okudera]
What Coach Heng regrets after seeing Mickelson play in Germany's top league is that more Thai players didn't follow him sooner; he doesn't want to wait another 47 years.Tags: [Coach Heng, Nicholas Mickelson, Bundesliga, Thai players, regret]
"It's a bit regrettable. When I played in the Bundesliga in the 1979–1980 season, the next Thai player had to wait until the 2026–2027 season. That's quite a delay," Coach Heng shared his feelings.Tags: [Coach Heng, Bundesliga, waiting period, Thai football history]
"But I'm glad Nicholas Mickelson became the second Thai to play in the Bundesliga after me. Nowadays, there are no foreign player quotas like before; if you have the skill, you get a chance. But it's not easy because the German league is one of the toughest in Europe. Playing there is amazing because every match is demanding—not just strength, but understanding the game and playing smartly. I've been following him and hope he becomes a regular starter to showcase his talent and attract bigger teams," he said.Tags: [Coach Heng, Nicholas Mickelson, Bundesliga, German league, player skills]
When asked about the qualities needed to play in the Bundesliga, Coach Heng said, "Of course, speed and strength are important, but that's not enough. Quality means excellent skills—not just good ball control and passing but the ability to control and pass in tight spaces under pressure, read the game well, manage the match, and deliver precise final passes. I want to watch if he has these qualities because then he could make a name for himself and the country."Tags: [Coach Heng, player qualities, Bundesliga, skills, game intelligence]
One day, I sat beside Coach Heng, and he mentioned how many Thai female volleyball players have played abroad and returned to help the national team win the Asian championship. I asked about how countries like Japan, which have already achieved this, promote their athletes abroad.Tags: [Coach Heng, volleyball, Thai athletes abroad, Japan, sports development]
Coach Heng explained, "There are role models like South Korea and Japan; their players all compete in Europe."Tags: [Coach Heng, South Korea, Japan, players abroad, European leagues]
"This path is followed by several countries—parents send players, associations send players, or clubs send players. I want clubs to pay attention to this. Talented youngsters who have a chance should be sent abroad instead of being kept in our domestic league. Like Japanese kids playing in Europe, especially women, their associations even provide monthly bonuses because playing abroad doesn't always pay well unless you're top-tier. This approach motivates players to go abroad. If you only play in ASEAN-level leagues, not higher levels, it’s hard to win. I want to see more Thai players playing abroad, not just in Japan but in Europe too," he said.Tags: [Coach Heng, player development, overseas experience, motivation, Thailand football]
We will watch closely how far Nicholas Mickelson can go in Europe. Thai fans are cheering him on.Tags: [Nicholas Mickelson, European football, Thai fans, support]