To achieve your dreams, you have to really want it. You need drive, determination and, if this video is anything to go by, a good pair of legs.
Taken in Hanoi by a member of English Premier League football club Arsenal, the following video sees one young Vietnamese fan chasing after the team’s tour bus for some five miles, waving and pounding the badge emblazoned on his chest with such vigour that the team eventually decides to welcome him on board for a once-in-a-lifetime private autograph and photo session.
Despite the extreme Vietnam heat, Arsenal fan Vu Xuan Tien became an example to both his fellow supporters and the players he idolizes as he ran alongside the football team’s official tour bus, keeping up with it long after all others had waved their last and headed home.
No matter how many lamp posts, trees and stalls he had to dodge, the diehard fan just kept on running…
And smiling!
Miles down the road, he even managed to hitch a ride on the back of a scooter and kept up with the bus when it broke through the traffic, calling out the players and waving until the team, joking that their manager should sign the athletic young man up to play for them, decided to stop the bus and bring him on board.
As Tien found himself surrounded by his sporting idols, the team cheered and gave him a round of applause before passing the Arsenal shirt he was wearing around to be signed, at which point Tien revealed a stomach so ripped that it put a few of the professional footballers to shame.
▼ Manager Arsene Wenger signs the delighted fan’s shirt.
Uploaded to the team’s official YouTube page, the tale of “The Running Man” has been viewed more than 2.5 million times to date, and is showing no sign of slowing down.
Keeping running, football fans!
Source: Kotaro (Japanese)
Video/images: YouTube ArsenalTour
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Starbucks Japan creates special drink bottle bags, adorable stickers for all 47 prefectures[Pics]
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Starbucks Japan creates special drink bottle bags, adorable stickers for all 47 prefectures[Pics]
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
Hatsune Miku successfully wraps Miku Expo 2026 North America tour with 100,000 attendees
Nearly half of Pokémon hot spring’s statues have been damaged less than two months after opening
Dragon Quest’s next quest is a journey to Yoshinoya for awesome Slime toy meals[Photos]
Japan’s Yellow Shinkansen to be retired, last chances to ride it come with eye-popping prices
Will we eat the gyoza or our words at this all-you-can-eat dumpling challenge?
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
7-Eleven Japan to start selling Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches this summer
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino, tea and soda drinks for summer
“Phantom Egg Shop” opens in Japan, with a dozen rare Japanese varieties
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Hatsune Miku successfully wraps Miku Expo 2026 North America tour with 100,000 attendees
Nearly half of Pokémon hot spring’s statues have been damaged less than two months after opening
Dragon Quest’s next quest is a journey to Yoshinoya for awesome Slime toy meals[Photos]
Japan’s Yellow Shinkansen to be retired, last chances to ride it come with eye-popping prices
Will we eat the gyoza or our words at this all-you-can-eat dumpling challenge?
7-Eleven Japan now has Seven Cafe tea machines…but can they convert a coffee drinker?
“Alcohol is the best medicine” removed from Japanese government website
Japan opens shrine for plush toys in Kyoto, offering memorial rites and a resting place for remains
Private Shinkansen Supreme Class Cabin pricing, start date, and details announced by Japan Railways
TKG Debate: What’s the best way to eat Japan’s beloved raw egg comfort dish?
Japanese merry-go-round has heartwarming backstory, is one of the best rides in Japan
Ginza Happo: One of Tokyo’s best all-you-can-eat seafood restaurants is an extreme buffet affair
Starbucks Japan sells Valencia Flavoured Syrup, and here are four ways to use it this summer
7-Eleven Japan’s new sweets burger is a mouthwatering philosophical debate