Son Heung-Min: The Asian King Who Conquered The EPL

Son Heung-Min is undoubtedly one of the greatest Asian players to play in the Premier League and one of the best players in the world.

Recently, particularly following his prolific success with Tottenham, Son has been considered one of the best players in the world and has often been cited as the greatest Asian footballer of all time.

Sir Alex Ferguson was enthused about Son as a player that he wished he could have managed. This is testament to the talent of the Asian king that the legendary manager acknowledged the player and wished to manage him. Join us as we explore his humble beginnings from South Korea to conquering the world of football.

Player Profile: Son Heung-Min

Son Heung-min is renowned for his dynamic play and versatility. Born on July 8, 1992, he has excelled at both club and international levels. With Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League, his speed, skill, and scoring ability make him a formidable force on the field, captivating fans worldwide.

Player Profile Overview

Early Life

Son Heung-min was born on 8 July 1992 in Chuncheon, Gangwon. He is of the Miryang Son clan. His father, Son Woong-jung, is a retired footballer.

Son came through the academy at FC Seoul, He was a ball boy in an FC Seoul home match in 2008 when he was an FC Seoul youth player. At that time, his role model was midfielder Lee Chung-Yong, who played for Crystal Palace and Bolton Wanderers.

His father, Son Woong-jung, had a football career and later transitioned into coaching, having once played for the South Korea national B team. Son’s journey to success is marked by his father’s coaching methods, moving to German football, successfully avoiding mandatory military service and hard work.

Youth Career

In August 2008, Son dropped out of Dongbuk High School’s football club and joined Hamburger SV’s youth academy at age 16 through the Korean FA Youth Project.

A year later, he returned to South Korea. After participating in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, he formally joined Hamburger SV’s youth academy in November 2009.

He was impressive in the 2010–11 pre-season, leading the team with nine goals, and signed his first professional contract on his 18th birthday.

Senior Career

Son Heung-Min’s career started at Hamburger SV,  his first league goal came on his Bundesliga debut on 30 October 2010 against 1. FC Köln in the 24th minute.

The goal made Son the youngest Hamburg player to score a goal in the Bundesliga at 18. Son scored three goals in 14 matches in all competitions during his breakthrough season in 2010–11. The following season Son was very lethal, scoring 18 times in only nine matches for the club.

The 2012-2013 season saw then-manager Thorsten Fink named Son as a starter after the transfers of strikers Mladen Petrić and Paolo Guerrero.

He finished the season with 12 goals, becoming the fifth South Korean footballer to achieve double digits in goals in Europe. Son finished the 2012–13 season with 12 goals in 34 matches in all competitions.

Playing For Bayer Leverkusen

Son Heung-Min signed for Bayer Leverkusen for around €10 million on 13 June 2013. This fee was the highest transfer fee in the club’s history at the time.

He agreed to a five-year deal with the team. Son hit the ground running for his new club attracting positive reviews from the media and fans alike. He scored three goals in his first three appearances for the team in three preseason matches.

Playing against his former club Hamburger SV, Son broke the hearts of his former fans at his old stomping ground scoring his first hat-trick in that match.

He had a prolific spell scoring often for Leverkusen including a goal against Werder Bremen on 10 May 2014. Son’s goal ensured his team a spot in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League.

Moving to England and Signing For Tottenham Hotspur

Son became the most expensive Asian player in football history when he joined Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for £22 million on a five-year contract. The fee surpassed the £18 million Parma paid Roma for Hidetoshi Nakata and the £12 million Man United paid Dortmund for Shinji Kagawa.

The South Korean made his Premier League debut on 13 September away to Sunderland and was substituted for Andros Townsend in the 62nd minute of a 1–0 win. He scored his first Premier League goal against Crystal Palace on 20 August 2015.

Sonaldo as he is fondly called was named the Premier League Player of the Month for September 2016, becoming the first South Korean and first Asian player to receive the award.

Following an impressive goalscoring return for the club, Son Heung-Min scored his first hat-trick for Tottenham in an FA Cup against Millwall in a 6–0 win. On 12 May 2017, Son won his second Premier League Player of the Month in April.

He was also the only player in the 2016–17 season to win the award more than once. Son had an impressive 2016/2017 season, scoring 21 goals in all competitions. He joined Harry Kane and Dele Alli as the first trio of Spurs players with over 20 goals in the season.

Best Footballer in Asia trophy in 2018 and Top Goalscoring Asian in PL History

5 November 2017 marked an impressive milestone for Son Heung-Min. He scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win against Crystal Palace. The goal meant he had scored 20 Premier League to become the top Asian goalscorer in Premier League history.

He surpassed the record set by fellow South Korean and Manchester United legend Park Ji-Sung. Son also matched Jermaine Defoe‘s club record of scoring in five consecutive matches. He also became the first Asian to finish the season as a top-10 goal scorer in the English Premier League.

At the end of February 2019, Son won Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards. He became the highest-scoring Asian in the Champions League when he scored twice against Manchester City in the quarter-final.

Son Heung-Min received the Puskas Award for his solo mazy run goal against Crystal Palace, making the Balon D’or shortlist. He also became the club captain replacing Hugo Lloris following the departure of Harry Kane.

International Career

Son was a member of the South Korean national team that participated in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Nigeria scoring 3 goals in this tournament.

He made the South Korea national team’s squad for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. His International senior men’s team debut came in a pre-tournament friendly against Syria on 30 December. He became the youngest goalscorer in the AFC Asian Cup history when he scored against India in the tournament. S

on’s father caused a stir by asking the Korea Football Association to exempt his son from the national team. He cited rest and wanting his son to rest and grow as a player as his reason for the request. Son turned down the opportunity to participate in the 2012 London Olympics, opting to concentrate on his club career at Hamburger SV.

The player was named in South Korea’s squad for the 2014 World Cup. On 22 June, he scored in a 4–2 defeat to Algeria in the team’s second group match.

However, he did not participate in the 2014 Asian Games because his club Bayer Leverkusen refused to release him.  The club stated that Son’s absence would mean the team would lose their star forward for at least six matches depending on the progress of South Korea at the tournament.

Asian Cup runner-up and Asian Games gold

Son was selected for South Korea for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. At the quarter-final stage, he scored both of the team’s goals in the 2–0 extra-time defeat of Uzbekistan.

In the final against the hosts, managed by current Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, he equalised in added time. Although South Korea lost 2–1 after extra time, Son was chosen in the Team of the Tournament.

Son Heung-Min was named as one of the three overage players in South Korea’s under-23 squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He was selected as one of three overage players permitted in the under-23 team for the football tournament at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

He also captained the team in the gold medal match, assisting both extra-time goals in a 2–1 victory over Japan. Consequently, the victory ensured the entire gold-winning squad was exempted from mandatory military service.

Captaining South Korea

Son was called up as captain for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates by Paulo Bento. However, he missed the first two group matches due to an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur related to his call-up. He also captained the 26-man South Korean squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Although Son failed to score a goal for his nation’s group-stage matches, he successfully led South Korea to the round of 16, for the first time since 2010. Son also captained the national team under manager Jürgen Klinsmann in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Playing Style

Son is a versatile player who can play in any forward position. Different coaches have deployed him as a winger, second striker, and as a striker. And in some cases, he has even been deployed as an attacking midfielder.  On the rare occasion he is deployed as a wing-back if necessary he has performed admirably.

Son Heung-Min is a very intelligent player known for his two-footed ability, explosive pace and positional sense. Furthermore, his movement, close control and clinical finishing make him especially effective on the counter-attack.

Moreover, he has drawn praise from teammates and in the media for his selfless work rate and defensive contribution. His style of play is more of a team player than an individualistic style. His overall gameplay has shown that he is very capable of providing assists for teammates, in addition to scoring goals himself.

Goals

Son is a prolific attacking player with good goal returns everywhere he has played. He became the first Asian to win the Premier League Golden Boot. Son shared that honour with Mohamed Salah as they both scored 23 goals in the 2021-2022 season.

Fresh from winning the Golden Boot the previous season, Son suffered a disappointing 2022–23 season. However, he scored in a 2-1 win to against Brighton to become the first Asian to score 100 Premier League goals. He also boasts a Puskas Award for his wonder solo goal in his repertoire.

Personal life

It is unclear if Son is currently dating anyone, but he has dated Yoo So-young and Bang Min-ah, two K-pop singers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Son took advantage of the suspension of football to fulfil his mandatory military service in South Korea.

With his gold medal from the Asian Games, he was excused from military duty; however, he was still required to complete basic military training. In April–May 2020, he concluded his basic training in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps at Jeju, placing him among the top five trainees out of 157.

Son has experienced racist taunts from fans both in-person and virtually as a South Korean player. Son has taken part in the Real Scars campaign by UEFA, which aims to increase awareness of the harassment and abuse of football players online.

In addition, he enjoys playing League of Legends on video games. His charitable nature saw him give about £100,000 in 2019 to help the victims of the Goseong Fire, which devastated Goseong County, Gangwon, in his home in South Korea.

Son made a charitable donation of £65,000 in 2020 to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. Along with his father and brother, Son founded the Son Football Academy in Chuncheon, his hometown, for £11 million, mostly covered by him.

In June 2022, he was honoured with the Cheongnyong Medal, South Korea’s highest sports-related accolade, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to football.

Milestones and Personal Achievements

• Bundesliga debut- vs 1. FC Köln, 30 October 2010
• International Debut – vs Syria, 30 December 2010
• Bundesliga Debut of the Hinrunde: (2010)
• Korean FA Player of the Year: (2013, 2014, 2017, 2019-2022)
• Korean FA Fans’ Player of the Year: (2014, 2015)
• Best Footballer in Asia: (2014, 2015, 2017-2023)
• UEFA Champions League Set-piece Goal of the Season: (2014–15)
• AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament: (2015)
• Premier League Debut – vs Sunderland, 13 September 2015
• AFC Asian International Player of the Year: (2015, 2017, 2019)
• Korean FA Goal of the Year: (2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023)
• The Asian Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sports: (2016)
• Tottenham Hotspur Goal of the Season: (2017–20, 2022–23)
• AIPS Asia Best Asian Male Athlete:( 2018)
• PFA Fans’ Premier League Player of the Month: (January 2018)
• Hamburger SV All-time XI by Bundesliga: (2018)
• Tottenham Hotspur Player of the Season: (2018-20, 2021–22)
• Premier League Player of the Year by London Football Awards: (2019)
• Premier League Goal of the Season: (2019–20)
• BBC Goal of the Season: (2019–20)
• FIFA Puskás Award: (2020)
• Tottenham Hotspur Goal of the Decade: (2020)
• IFFHS Asian Men’s Player of the Year: (2020-2022)
• PFA Premier League Team of the Year: (2020–21)
• IFFHS Asian Men’s Player of the Decade: (2021)
• IFFHS Asian Men’s Team of All Time: (2021)
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2021–22
• Cheongnyong Medal: 2022
• AFC Asian Cup All-time XI: (2023)
• 4x Premier League Player of the Month
• 2x Premier League Goal of the Month
• First Asian to Score 100 Premier League Goals

Conclusion

Son Heung-min is a football sensation, who epitomizes excellence on the pitch. Son’s dynamic style and versatility make him a formidable force in the sport. Renowned for his speed, skill, and scoring prowess, he’s a key player for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.

Son’s achievements extend beyond club level; he’s a vital asset to the South Korean national team, representing his country with pride in international competitions. Off the field, his humility and dedication to the game earned him admiration worldwide.