Tottenham’s Son Heung-min’s injury history and updates
By Gary Pearson
Son Heung-min has enjoyed a relatively healthy career since arriving at Tottenham in the summer of 2015, though his injury count is starting to add up in recent seasons.
Part of the reason Son has seen so much success since joining Tottenham almost seven years ago is his ability to avoid the treatment table. Always reliable and durable, the South Korean didn’t incur an injury for almost five years, between November 2015 and February 2020.
Since February 2020, Son’s injury count has risen steadily, though he’s never suffered a serious, career-threatening setback. Here’s a look at every injury Sonny has suffered since turning professional. He’s also been lucky enough to avoid repetitive, compounding injuries to the same body part, which has also contributed to Sonny’s longevity at an elite level.
Son’s injuries at Hamburger SV
August 2010 — Fractured foot
In his first senior season with Hamburger, Sonny suffered a serious setback after fracturing his foot in a pre-season win over Chelsea. He was only 18 years old at the time, presenting a stern challenge for the teenager. No professional footballer intends on starting his or her career sidelined by a broken bone. But Sonny showed his resilience and strength of character, even at that impressionable age, and returned to the lineup stronger than ever.
He missed over two months of action, the longest absence of his career. Sonny scored a goal on his return to action, on Oct. 30, 2010, in a 3-2 loss to Koln.
September 2011 — Ruptured ankle ligament
When you hear or see the word ruptured, you automatically think the worst. In this case, Son’s minor rupture of an ankle ligament only kept him out of action for a single match. In total, he was out for two weeks.
November 2012 — Minor thigh strain
Sonny went down with a minor thigh muscle strain and only missed a single match.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen injury history
Sonny didn’t miss any matches during his time at Bayer Leverkusen. He injured his foot in August 2015 while on international duty but recovered in time for the start of the season, his first with Spurs. Tottenham purchased Sonny prior to the 2015-2016 season.