By Toby Prince
Many questions have been raised about Tottenham splashing a huge sum for little known South Korean superstar, Son Heung-min who joined the club during the summer.
At £22m, the player becomes the most expensive Asian in football history, £7m more than what Manchester United paid for Shinji Kagawa and £8m more than AC Milan paid for Keisuke Honda.
Now the player has vowed to prove his critics wrong by repaying the confidence reposed in him by Spurs.
“I feel responsible, also proud because Tottenham valued me that highly. It is very important for players to feel valued. Now I’m going to show that I’m worth it,” he was quoted by the London Evening Standard as saying.
The 23-year-old Korean could make his debut for his new club away to Sunderland on Sunday but Spurs fans and the entirety of the English Premier League community are still sceptical about his qualities.
To help you out, here are five facts you should know about Son Heung-min.
- Versatility
Son can play in a number of different attacking roles – on either wing or as an out and out striker.
He is so versatile in fact, that after Spurs failed to secure another forward to provide back up for Kane on deadline day; they changed Son’s positional listing on their website from a midfielder to a striker.
German legend, Franz Beckenbauer, said about the player: “He’s a super player. I really like the way he plays – fast and dynamic.” Comfortable playing wide or centrally.”
- Good goalscoring Record
Son’s Bundesliga record reads as 41 goals in 132 appearances, which many people may scoff at considering he is an attacker.
But then again, for neither Hamburg nor Bayer Leverkusen has he ever played as an actual centre forward, as he is more of a winger.
He is one of only four players to score 10 or more Bundesliga goals in each of the past three seasons. The other men in that distinguished group are Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and Max Kruse.
For a wide man, an average of one goal every three games is not bad going at all and if he can replicate that form in the Premier League, then he’ll be a very handy signing indeed.
- Vast international experience
At just 23, Son is one of South Korea’s most important players and he already has 44 caps for his country.
He has scored 14 goals for the national side, including a hat-trick during the last international break in an 8-0 World Cup qualifier over Laos.
South Korea progressed no further than the groups in Brazil 2014 but even so, Son was one of the squad’s few players to come out of the tournament with some praise for his performances.
FIFA’s technical committee highlighted Son for praise in their 2014 World Cup report, describing him as “physically imposing, influential in left midfield, mobile” and someone who “creates good goalscoring opportunities”.
- Adept at playing with both feet
Some players are good at using both feet, but few are as adept as Son who is as completely capable with his left as he is his right.
‘I’ve trained with both feet so I can use them freely. Bold and daring – this is how I like to try to play,” a confident Son told Spurs official.
This can make him a nightmare for defenders and also makes him incredibly versatile in attack. Not only can he play on both wings, he can also confidently choose to cut inside or bomb to the byline on both sides of the field. Handy indeed.
- German Bundesliga bred
As we all know, the Bundesliga is a grooming ground for young and promising talents. Son has spent a chunk of his short career in Germany featuring for Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen.
Originally at FC Seoul, he finished his development at Hamburger SV, where he made his debut in the German Bundesliga in 2010
Then teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy said: “After a training session, you can see that he is something special.
“Son is the future. With him, HSV will have a lot of success. He is young, has a good head, and even at the age of 18 is making a significant impact in the Bundesliga.”
He then moved to Bayer Leverkusen for a club record €10 million in 2013 featuring in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
