Tottenham: The Emergence of Hueng-Min Son
By Chris Nano
Tottenham winger Heung-Min Son has been in form to begin the 2016-17 season but it was his final couple of games last year where he got things started.
Where did this Hueng-Min Son guy come from, one may ask. When did he become so talented? Well, the question is, the 24-year-old South Korean has always been a real talent. He proved that during his spells with German sides Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen.
Right now, Son can do no wrong. He is doing absolutely everything Tottenham fans wanted from him from the very start after a hefty price tag hung around his neck.
A bit like Érik Lamela, he needed time to adjust to the Premier League. Everyone saw a very small sample size of Son last season before a foot injury kept him sidelined for over a month.
While he remained fully entrenched in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans when he returned, it wouldn’t be until Spurs’ games against Chelsea and Southampton at the end of the last season where he started his current form this term.
At the time, scoring back-to-back goals to help give Tottenham a chance to upset Leicester City in the league table was huge. However, it is now paying even more dividends this time around as Son is a man on a mission.
The weird thing about Son’s situation is how he was rumored to leave this past summer. For one reason or another, the South Korean international was on the verge of returning to the Bundesliga and join Wolfsburg.
Obviously spending £22 million for one season’s worth is a waste of money and Pochettino couldn’t afford to lose a player who had plenty of talent to help his team this season with another title push and Champions League football.
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After rejecting Wolfsburg’s bid of £24 million, Pochettino gave the 24-year-old chances to impress following his return from the Rio Olympics. And now within a matter of weeks Son is arguably Tottenham’s best player right now.
He has five goals in six games, which is an absolutely unbelievable goal scoring record. He has filled the void left by Harry Kane’s injury perfectly and it seems like Spurs haven’t missed a beat, in large part to the emergence of the South Korean.
Scoring in the Champions League is no small achievement. No matter who Spurs are playing in the Champions League, every club steps their game up. To get the match-winning goal against CSKA Moscow — who were tough to breakdown until the 71st minute — will only add more to his confidence.
Son is exactly what Spurs supporters have been calling for for years. A man who can create for himself, for his teammates, and can score in times of need. Keep in mind that he is only 24 which means he still has a lot of time to get even better.
Mauricio Pochettino has gotten the best out of Son lately and although he had good spells with Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen before joining Spurs, perhaps the left winger has yet to reach peak performance.
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Only one thing could end Heung-Min Son’s time with Tottenham and that’s what will happen at the conclusion of the 2018 Asian Games. Will South Korea defend their trophy or will he have to take a mandatory two-year absence to serve in the military?
For the time being, Son is a member of Spurs for the next two seasons following this year and right now he’s hit his stride. Against league leaders Manchester City, he will undoubtedly become the focal point of attack at White Hart Lane once again.