Son Heung-min says he wants lớn pay back his fans with his performances. ‘I just want to lớn make sure that I make everyone happy by playing at the vị trí cao nhất level.’ he says Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
The Spurs forward describes four-hour keepy-uppy sessions as a child and reveals why the desire to lớn repay his family is so strong
The way Son Heung-min tells it, he was 10 years old và squabbling with his older brother, Heung-yun. Then something happened that has stayed with him.
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The Tottenham forward’s father, Son Woong-jung, was a former professional footballer who made it to lớn a good level in South Korea, and he had begun khổng lồ coach his boys, making it his mission khổng lồ guide them khổng lồ the top, avoiding the pitfalls he encountered. On this occasion, he saw red and, to lớn borrow the word Son uses, decided khổng lồ impose a forfeit.
“He gave us four hours of keepy-uppies,” Son says. “Both of us. After about three hours, I was seeing three balls. The floor was red
Wait, what? Son did not let the ball hit the ground? In four hours? As a 10-year-old? “No,” he says. Impossible! Son’s gaze is steely. “No, not once,” he replies.
The story advertises several things – Son’s natural talent, among them. “As soon as I could walk, I was kicking a ball,” he says. But what shines through và has underpinned his rise, to the point where he can be considered as the pre-eminent player in Asia, is his readiness to respond to the demands of his father. That, & his extraordinary levels of focus & dedication.
Son recounts another tale that features his father and keepy-uppy punishments. “When I was 10 or 12, he came in to coach my school team and we were training, 15 or trăng tròn players. The programme was for us all khổng lồ keep the balls up for 40 minutes. When someone dropped the ball, my father would not say anything. But as soon as I dropped it, he made us all start over from the beginning. The players understood, because I was his son and, yeah, it was tough. But when you think about it now, this was the right way.”
It is tempting to pigeonhole Son’s father as a remorseless disciplinarian, và wonder whether his drive affected the relationship between the pair. It would be wrong to do so – the reality is Son has nothing but admiration and respect for him. “Was he a strict coach?” Son says. “Yeah. Scary, as well.” Yet the tone is affectionate. In Korean society, a father’s word tends to be law. Son has followed it; he has embraced it.
Son Heung-min celebrates after winning gold at at the Asian Games in Indonesia in September 2018. Photograph: Bernat Armangue/AP“My father was thinking of what I needed all the time. He has done everything for me and without him, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today. As a player, you need some help. It’s also important lớn meet a great manager & then there’s luck, too. Everything has come together for me.”
It has been a remarkable nine months or so for Son, beginning at the World Cup last year, when South Korea were eliminated from the group stage after defeats against Sweden & Mexico but went on to lớn beat Germany in their final match. After the Mexico game, the 26-year-old sobbed uncontrollably when the South Korea president, Moon Jae-in, visited the dressing room.
Son Heung-min’s 2018-19 stats are his best at Spurs. He is scoring every 146 minutes, providing assists every 320 minutes và being directly involved in a goal every 100 minutes – all career highs. He is also the most clinical he has ever been: scoring 19.3% of his shots:
Goals scoredHarry Kane16Son Heung-min11Lucas Moura6
Shots (on target)Harry Kane85 (41)Son Heung-min57 (22)Christian Eriksen50 (20)
AssistsChristian Eriksen9Son Heung-min5Harry Kane4
Photograph: Tottenham Hotspur FC
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Son would win the Asian Games as an overage wildcard player with the South Korea Under-23s at the beginning of the season – earning him an exemption from 21 months of military service – but in January, his team lost unexpectedly in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup to Qatar.
Son’s fortunes at Spurs have soared since Mauricio Pochettino held him back from the mid-November international programme in favour of club training and, crucially, no travelling. Pochettino was worried Son faced mental và physical burnout. Since then he has scored 14 times in 23 appearances for Spurs, giving him 16 for the season. His performances have been key khổng lồ the push for a top-four finish & the run lớn the Champions League quarter-finals.
One statistic from Opta shows Son has scored with 19.3% of his Premier League shots this season, making him more clinical than he has ever been in the competition. It has all served khổng lồ put him in the conversation for the player of the season awards.
If you’re a good footballer but don’t know how khổng lồ respect others, you’re nobodySon Heung-min“Mid-November was 100% a big period for me,” Son says. “I’d been travelling a lot. I didn’t feel great. I had so many things in my head. It was just a bit rough. The gaffer made the choice & it was perfect for me – some hard training at Spurs and a bit of rest. As I said before, you have lớn have the luck to lớn meet a great manager. I’ve improved an amazing amount under him.”
What has elevated Son in the eyes of the Spurs tư vấn and many neutrals is his respectful nature, energy & positivity, và that smile. For somebody with such confidence in his ability, it is rare to find such humility.
“My father told me when I was young that if I was through on goal but an opponent fell and hurt themselves, I should put the ball out and check on the opponent. Because if you’re a good footballer but don’t know how to lớn respect others, you’re nobody. He is still saying that khổng lồ me. Sometimes it’s difficult but we are humans before we are footballers. We should respect each other. On the pitch, off the pitch – why should it be different?”
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Son is a long way from being the stereotypical footballer. He lives with his parents in a three-bed apartment in Hampstead and, although he và the squad were given the day off on Thursday he was never going to lớn cancel a visit to lớn Vale school in Tottenham, near the club’s new stadium.
He is 10 minutes early, which bears reporting because this almost never happens with world football stars. On the way in, he says lớn the deputy head that he hopes the children will recognise him. If the remark is not tongue in cheek (and it appears not to be) then it is ludicrously self-effacing.
Son Heung-min scores Tottenham’s first goal against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last-16 first leg. Spurs are through khổng lồ the quarter-finals. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianSon is often referred khổng lồ as the David Beckham of Asia, because of his marketability và a popularity that transcends his sport. He gets a rock star reception when he lands at any airport in South Korea while he cannot walk the streets in his country for fear of being mobbed. Spurs now have hundreds of match-going Korean fans; there is even a group of them outside the training ground on most days.
Son is a natural with the disabled girls at the school & it is lovely to watch their reaction as he joins in with a coaching session that the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation has laid on. There are hugs, high tens and snazzy handshakes – one of his trademarks.
Son’s ambition burns brightly & he takes single-mindedness to the next dimension. He laughs uproariously when he is reminded of how his father has said he should not marry until after he retires as a player. Son has dated Korean pop stars Bang Min-ah và Yoo So-young, và is unattached.
“My father says this & I agree, as well,” Son says. “When you marry, the number one will be family, wife and kids, & then football. I want lớn make sure that while I play at the đứng top level, football can be number one. You don’t know how long you can play at the đứng top level. When you retire, or when you are 33 or 34, you can still have a long life with your family.”
It is put to Son that most European managers prefer their players khổng lồ marry & settle down. “Yeah, because there are many opportunities to vị things off the pitch, like drinking or something lượt thích this,” he says. “But I am not the type that likes doing this stuff.
“I just want to lớn make sure I make everyone happy by playing at the top level. For example, when I play for Spurs at Wembley, how many Korean flags vì chưng you see? I want lớn keep my level as high as possible for as long as I can, lớn pay back khổng lồ them. This is very important for me.
“Do I feel lượt thích an ambassador for my country? Of course, I have khổng lồ be.Another example: when we play at 3pm, it’s midnight in Korea. When we play in the Champions League at 8pm, it’s five in the morning and they still watch on TV. I have lớn pay back; I take a lot of responsibility.”
Son Heung-Min was attending a Tottenham Hotspur Foundation event with the girls football team at The Vale Special School in Northumberland Park. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianSon extends the theme khổng lồ his parents. “There are different attitudes in Europe & Asia and, of course, people are thinking: ‘Why is he living with his family?’ But who cares about me? Who is helping me to lớn play football? It is them. They gave up their life & they come over here to help me. I have to pay back.
“I am so grateful lớn them và I really am grateful for every single opportunity lớn make this. I know being a professional is about more than talent. It’s like my idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, who actually works more than the talent he has. I see many players who don’t have the mentality, who think talent is enough. But it’s not.”
Son has always put in the hard yards. Even when he broke into the Hamburg team at 18, his father – on visits from South Korea – would put him through gruelling additional workouts. There have been numerous moments when it has all felt worthwhile, with the recent Asian Games triumph prominent among them.
To many South Koreans, it was more about Son winning his freedom from military service than winning a tournament – which shows the affection in which he is held. Unsurprisingly, Son is having none of that and, as an aside, he will undertake the basic, four-week soldier’s training course either this summer or the next.
“It was a massive tournament – not because of me – and, when it was such a big thing, I was very happy & proud khổng lồ win it; proud of my country, proud of my teammates,” Son says.“As I’ve said before, it was not my aim khổng lồ avoid military service. My aim is simply khổng lồ be great as a footballer – all the time. This is one part of that.”
Son Heung-min was speaking at an all-girls disability football session at Vale school organised by the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to celebrate International Women’s Day