Tottenham player evaluation: What to expect from Son Heung-Min this season
By Gary Pearson
Tottenham’s most improved player from last season is set to continue his personal progression and stamp his authority as a top Premier League attacking presence.
Son Heung-Min improved beyond anyone’s expectations last season. The proof was most definitely in the pudding. He scored 14 Premier League goals, 10 better than his 2015-16 output. But it wasn’t just his significant increase in goals that endeared him to the Tottenham faithful.
The South Korean is refreshingly humble. Son, unlike Kyle Walker or Danny Rose, isn’t playing for notoriety or Instagram fame. He plays for his teammates and his unmatched passion for the game.
He’s a dream for any manager. Just ask Mauricio Pochettino. The gaffer has a fondness for Son that goes beyond most player-manager relationships. They agree philosophically about life and the main tenets of football.
Pochettino ranks passion and a player’s desire to improve above all else. He holds dear the ideas of loyalty, team unity, professionalism and dedication. Uncoincidentally, Son’s metaphysical nature is comprised of all those seemingly rare traits.
Son is also a lot more skillful than some give him credit for. He’s lethal in front of goal and has the kind of deft touch to take on defenders at will. He doesn’t often skin defenders, but when he does, Son can pull off some sublime moments.
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It wasn’t just the number of goals, but the importance and opportunistic nature of them. He enjoyed three two-goal performances in the top flight and scored his first hat trick with the club, against Millwall in the FA Cup.
Adored by fans, teammates and staff, Spurs’ South Korean extracts the best out of everyone he plays with. Son’s introduction against Newcastle on opening day, even though Tottenham led 1-0, had a palpable effect on the match, lifting his teammates’ spirt and boosting supporters’ morale.
That – along with his bountiful skill set – is the main reason Son will excel and reach eminent heights in coming seasons. The 25-year-old chipped in with six assists last season, too. Look for the soft-spoken South Korean to exceed expectations once again. And don’t be surprised to see him improve upon last season’s 14-goal output.
The embodiment of Spurs’ mantra, Son possesses the intangible qualities that Pochettino rightly places on a pedestal.
He has a winner’s mentality. Pochettino and his teammates know it and so to do Spurs supporters.