Heung-min’s hot streak boosts case to be Asia’s all-time best
LONDON: South Korea’s Son Heung-min (pic) is already staking a claim to be considered the greatest player Asia has ever produced thanks to his stunning form for Tottenham.
The free-scoring Heung-min, 25, already has 18 goals in all competitions this season, including seven in his last five games, and is well on course to beat his own record of 21 for goals by a South Korean in a European league.
“In terms of recent form and impact in one of the top leagues in the world, there is no doubt that Heung-min is up there and few Asians have had the kind of season he is having at the moment,” Asian football expert John Duerden said.
The World Cup in three months time provides Heung-min with the ideal stage to confirm his status as Asia’s finest.
South Korea continue their World Cup preparations with a friendly trip to Northern Ireland today.
A 1400GMT kickoff in Belfast means the match won’t finish to well beyond midnight in Seoul.
But fans in the Far East are already used to staying up long into the night to support Heungmin from afar.
“He is the biggest sports star and one of the most famous people in the country,” added Duerden.
“Koreans are proud that one of their own is winning games and plaudits in England and Europe. He is big news.”
The road to fame and fortune has been a long one, though.
His father Son Woong-jung, a former profes- sional player himself, took the unusual decision in South Korea to take his son out of high school at the age of 16 to head to German giants Hamburg.
From there he joined Bayer Leverkusen, where he got his first taste of Champions League football, before becoming the most expensive Asian player of all-time when he moved to Spurs in 2015.
Despite a difficult start to life in England, Heung-min took the brave decision to stay and fight for his place to form a fearsome front four with Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli.
“He’s so humble and he’s such a normal guy,” said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.
“I think he’s such an important player for us, scoring a lot of goals and he’s very consistent.”
Heung-min is now just three goals off 50 for Tottenham and has passed compatriot Park Ji-sung as the highest scoring Asian player in Premier League history.
However, he has yet to win a trophy for club or country and it is Ji-sung’s achievements that have set the bar for Heung-min to match.
Ji-sung scored at three World Cups, playing his part as South Korea got to the semi-finals on home soil in 2002, as well as winning four Premier League titles and the Champions League with Manchester United.
Heung-min already has more international goals than Ji-sung but has struggled to have the same impact at major tournaments.
South Korea face a tough challenge to progress beyond the group stage in Russia having been drawn against world champions Germany, Sweden and Mexico.