*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:24, 19 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14:32, 11 June 2024 (UTC)
Born in
Chuncheon, South Korea, Son relocated to Germany to join
Hamburger SV at 16, making his debut in the
Bundesliga in 2010. In 2013, he moved to
Bayer Leverkusen for a club record €10 million before signing for Tottenham for £22 million two years later, becoming the most expensive Asian player in history.[8] While at Tottenham, Son became the top Asian goalscorer in both Premier League and
Champions League history,[9] and surpassed
Cha Bum-kun's record for most goals scored by a Korean player in European competition.[10][11][12] In 2019, he became the second Asian in history to reach and start a UEFA Champions League final after compatriot
Park Ji-sung.[13] In the
2021–22 season, alongside
Mohamed Salah, he won the
Premier League Golden Boot award with 23 goals, becoming the first Asian player to win it.[14] In April 2023, he became the first Asian player to score
100 Premier League goals. He is also the club's
fifth-highest goalscorer and all-time leader in assists. Son is the third Tottenham player to make 300 Premier League appearances for the club, after Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane.[15]
A full international since 2010, Son has represented South Korea at the
2014,
2018, and
2022FIFA World Cups and is his country's joint top scorer at World Cups, tied with Park Ji-sung and
Ahn Jung-hwan on three goals. Son has also represented South Korea at the
2018 Asian Games, where the team won gold, and the
2011,
2015,
2019, and
2023 editions of the
AFC Asian Cup; Korea was the runner-up in 2015.
Outside of football, Son is viewed as a symbol of national pride in South Korea for his achievements, and has been listed in
Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 since 2019, where he ranked second in 2023.[16][17][18] In June 2022, Son received the Cheongnyong Medal, the highest order of merit for achievement in sports given to a South Korea citizen, for his achievements in football.[19] Son has been credited for having raised the profile of Tottenham Hotspur among South Koreans, with the club's marketing and social media strategy catering extensively to Korean supporters.[20]
Son came through the
academy at
FC Seoul, the same club that former Spurs defender
Lee Young-pyo played for.[24] Son was a
ball boy in an FC Seoul home match in 2008 when he was a FC Seoul youth player.[25] At that time, his role model was midfielder
Lee Chung-yong, who played for
Crystal Palace and
Bolton Wanderers.[26][27] Apart from his native language Korean, Son is also fluent in German and English. His agent Thies Bliemeister said Son was so determined to make himself a success in Europe that he learned German by watching episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants.[28]
He was impressive in the 2010–11 pre-season, leading the team with nine goals, and signed his first professional contract on his 18th birthday.[33] After scoring against
Chelsea in August, he was out for two months due to a foot injury. He returned on 30 October 2010 to score his first league goal, against
1. FC Köln in the 24th minute. The goal made Son the youngest
Hamburg player to score a goal in the Bundesliga at 18, breaking the record held by
Manfred Kaltz.[34][35]
Son signed a new deal with Hamburg through 2014. Pundits said he had what it took to become the next
Cha Bum-kun, a legendary
Bundesliga forward and fellow South Korean.[36] Son scored three goals in 14 matches in all competition during the
2010–11 season.[37]
During the 2011–12 pre-season, Son was explosive, scoring 18 times in only nine matches.[38][39][40] After missing the opening match due to a fever, Son scored two goals within three matches.[41] On 27 August, Son picked up an ankle injury in the 4–3 loss to 1. FC Köln and was initially projected to be out of action for four to six weeks.[42] His recovery was quicker than expected and he returned to action only three weeks later as a substitute in a 1–0 loss against
Borussia Mönchengladbach on 17 September. Over the course of the
2011–12 season, he made 30 appearances for Hamburg and scored five goals,[43] including crucial goals against
Hannover 96 and
1. FC Nürnberg at the end of the season to help ensure that Hamburg remained in the Bundesliga.[44]
Following Hamburger SV's 2012–13 offseason moves, which saw the transfers of the team's strikers
Mladen Petrić and
Paolo Guerrero to
Fulham and
Corinthians respectively, manager
Thorsten Fink chose to name Son a starter. The
2012–13 season was a breakthrough season for Son as he scored two goals in an away fixture against
Borussia Dortmund on 9 February 2013, helping his team to a 4–1 victory. Son was chosen Mann des Tages (Man of the Match) by
kicker.[45] On 14 April, Son netted two goals in a 2–1 win against
Mainz 05. He finished the season with 12 goals, becoming the fifth South Korean footballer to achieve double digits in goals in Europe.[46] He finished the
2012–13 season with 12 goals in 34 matches in all competitions.[47]
Bayer Leverkusen
On 13 June 2013,
Bayer Leverkusen confirmed Son's transfer for reportedly €10 million, which was the highest transfer fee in the club's history at the time. He agreed to a five-year deal with the team.[48] Son adjusted quickly to his new club in the pre-season, scoring three goals in his first three appearances for the team in exhibition matches (against
1860 Munich,
Udinese and
KAS Eupen respectively).[49]
On 9 November 2013, Son scored a
hat-trick for Leverkusen in a 5–3 win against his former club Hamburgers SV.[50] On 7 December, Son scored a crucial goal against Borussia Dortmund to put his club just four points off the summit of the Bundesliga. On 10 May 2014, Son scored another goal against
Werder Bremen ensuring his team a spot for the
2014–15 UEFA Champions League.[51] He finished the
2013–14 season with 12 goals in 43 matches.[52]
Son scored a hat-trick against
VfL Wolfsburg on 14 February 2015, in a 4–5 defeat, scoring when they were losing 0–3.[53] He finished the
2014–15 season with 17 goals in 42 matches.[54]
On 28 August 2015, Son joined
Premier League club
Tottenham Hotspur for £22 million (€30 million) on a five-year contract, subject to work permit and international clearance.[57][58] Upon his signing, he became the most expensive Asian player in football history.[8] The record had been held since 2001 by Japanese
Hidetoshi Nakata, who transferred from
Roma to
Parma for €25 million.[59]
Son made his debut on 13 September away to
Sunderland, being replaced by
Andros Townsend in the 62nd minute of a 1–0 win.[60] In Tottenham's first match of the
2015–16 UEFA Europa League on 17 September, Son netted his first two goals for the club in a 3–1 win against
Qarabağ FK.[61] Three days later, he scored his first Premier League goal, against
Crystal Palace at
White Hart Lane, netting in the 68th minute to give Tottenham their first home Premier League win of the season.[62] On 28 December in the match against
Watford, Son replaced
Tom Carroll in the 80th minute and scored Tottenham's winning goal in the 89th minute.[63] On 2 May, he scored the second goal against
Chelsea in a crucial match to give Spurs hope of winning the Premier League. Chelsea equalised in the second half, however, handing over the title to
Leicester City.[64]
2016–2018: Breakthrough and Premier League runner-up
Before the season, he reportedly asked Spurs manager
Mauricio Pochettino for permission to leave Tottenham in an attempt to get more playing time, but was instead given a chance to fight for his place at Spurs.[65] On 10 September 2016, Son scored two goals and created a third in his first appearance of the season, in a 4–0 win against
Stoke City.[66] Son followed that performance up with a second brace, coming at
Middlesbrough on 24 September, earning his team a 1–2 victory.[67] Upon equalling his league goal total from the previous season in 25 fewer matches, Son was hailed by Pochettino as "a different person – he's more mature and he knows the league and he's settled in fantastically now."[68] Son continued his excellent run of form with his fifth goal in five matches on 27 September in the
Champions League. Playing at
CSKA Moscow, Son slipped a shot past goalkeeper
Igor Akinfeev for the only goal of the match.[69] On 14 October, Son was named the
Premier League Player of the Month for September, being the first South Korean and first Asian to receive the award.[70]
Following the Christmas break Son continued to score the odd goal over the following couple of months and then on 12 March 2017 he scored his first Spurs
hat trick in the FA Cup against
Millwall in a 6–0 win.[71] In the same match, he was racially abused by a section of the Millwall fans who chanted "DVD" and "he's selling three for a fiver" whenever he touched the ball, referencing a stereotype towards east Asians.[72] He scored in the 2–0 victory away at
Burnley on 1 April 2017,[73] and four days later he scored in the 91st minute to put Spurs ahead at Swansea, in a game where they were losing 1–0 after 88 minutes and ended up winning 3–1.[74] A brace at home to Watford the following weekend brought his season total to 18 goals, 11 in the Premier League, his best ever goals return.[75] On 12 May 2017, Tottenham announced that Son had won the Premier League Player of the Month for April, the second time of his career and thus becoming the only player in 2016–17 to win the award 2 times.[76] On 18 May 2017, Son bagged a brace away to
Leicester City as part of a 6–1 rout of their former title rivals. With 21 goals in all competitions, Son joined
Harry Kane and
Dele Alli as the first trio of Spurs players with over 20 goals on the season.[77]
Son scored his first goal of the
2017–18 season in the
UEFA Champions League game against
Borussia Dortmund on 13 September 2017 at Spurs temporary home
Wembley Stadium, which Spurs won 3–1.[78][79] He scored his first Premier League goal in the season when Spurs beat
Liverpool 4–1 at home.[80] On 5 November 2017, Son scored the only goal in the 1–0 win against
Crystal Palace. The goal brought his tally in the Premier League to 20 and in doing so he became the top Asian goalscorer in Premier League history, breaking the record set by
Park Ji-Sung at
Manchester United.[12] On 13 January 2018, Son scored a goal and provided an assist in a game against
Everton, matching the club record set in 2004 by
Jermain Defoe of scoring in five consecutive home games.[81] On 28 February 2018, Son scored a brace and assisted
Fernando Llorente as Tottenham beat
Rochdale 6–1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Son also converted a penalty, but his goal was overruled by the
video assistant referee.[82] Son has become the first Asian to finish the season as a top-10 goal scorer in the English Premier League.[83]
2018–19: Champions League runner-up
On 20 July 2018, Son signed a new five-year deal extending his contract with Tottenham until 2023.[84] The first goals of the season came in October 2018 when he scored a brace in his 150th game for Tottenham in the
2018–19 EFL Cup match against West Ham.[85] He scored his first league goal in the season, his 50th goal for the club in all competitions, in a solo effort in the 3–1 home win against Chelsea, inflicting the first defeat for Chelsea in the Premier League this season.[86][87] This goal won the Premier League's Goal of the Month award for November.[88] On 13 February 2019, Son scored the first goal in a 3–0 win over
Borussia Dortmund, in the first leg of the round of 16,
UEFA Champions League.[89] At the end of the month he was named Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards.[90] On 3 April 2019, Son scored the first professional goal at the new
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a 2–0 victory over
Crystal Palace.[91]
On 9 April 2019, Son scored the first European competition goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a 1–0 win against
Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the
2018–19 Champions League.[92] In the return leg, Son scored twice to earn Tottenham a 4–4 aggregate win on the
away goals rule and help the club reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 1962, and only the second time ever. His brace also saw him become the highest scoring Asian player in the history of the tournament with 12 goals, overtaking the previous record holder,
Maxim Shatskikh.[93] On 4 May 2019, Son received his first red card in the Premier League due to his vindictive action against
Jefferson Lerma.[94]
2019–20: Puskás Award
Son opened his 2019–20 account on 14 September 2019 by scoring two goals against Crystal Palace in the Premier League with a final result of 4–0.[95] On 21 October, Son was named in the 30-man shortlist for the
2019 Ballon d'Or.[96] On 3 November, Son was sent off during a 1–1 draw with Everton after sliding into
André Gomes from behind, causing him to fall awkwardly and suffer a severe ankle injury. The injury prompted great concern and anguish from the players and supporters; Son was visibly highly distressed by the incident.[97] Following a red card for a challenge on Gomes, Son also received suspension for three Premier League games.[98] However, many professionals including former Everton player Kevin Kilbane expressed criticism of the red card decision, and Tottenham made an appeal to the Football Association against the dismissal. The FA accepted the appeal and Son's red card was rescinded on 5 November.[99][100] Three days after this incident, in a 4–0 Champions League away game to
Red Star Belgrade, in which Son scored a brace, rather than celebrating his first goal, he apologised to the camera for what happened at
Goodison Park.[101][102]
On 23 November 2019, Son scored Tottenham's first goal with
José Mourinho as manager, earning him
Man-of-the-match in a 3–2 Spurs victory against West Ham.[103] On 7 December, in the match against
Burnley, Son ran from one end of the pitch to the other, going past seven Burnley players, to score an individual goal that was immediately labelled a goal of the season contender. The nature of the goal saw Mourinho dub him "Sonaldo Nazario" in reference to the type of goal former Brazilian international
Ronaldo would score.[104] In January 2020, Son was awarded the Premier League goal of the month for December for his goal against Burnley,[105] eventually winning him the
Goal of the Season award.[106] The goal was further recognised by
FIFA with a
Puskás Award as the best goal of the past 12 months in December 2020.[107]
On 22 December 2019, facing Chelsea, Son was sent off after raising his boot against
Antonio Rüdiger's ribs.[108][109] On 16 February 2020, Son scored two goals at Villa Park and earned a 3–2 victory for Tottenham, in which he became the first Asian footballer to score 50 goals in the Premier League, with 51 scored goals in 151 Premier League matches.[110] Son played the full game despite suffering a fracture to his arm at the 31st second of the game.[111] Head coach José Mourinho declared at a later stage that he was not optimistic regarding Son's injury and that it was likely that the South Korean would be sidelined for the rest of the season.[112]
On 6 April 2020, while football was suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, it was confirmed that Son would carry out his mandatory military service for South Korea.[113] After completing a two-week quarantine on his return to Korea, he served with the
Marine Corps for three weeks on
Jeju Island.[114]
2020–21: PFA Team of the Year
In the second Premier League match of the
2020–21 season, Son scored four goals, all assisted by
Harry Kane, in a 5–2 win against
Southampton and the first League win and away win of the season. This was the first time in Premier League history in which a single player scored four goals in a match while being assisted by the same teammate.[115] In the Premier League game on 4 October, he scored a brace against Manchester United to help Tottenham win 6–1, which is the biggest win for Tottenham at
Old Trafford and their best result against United since a home win in 1932.[116] Based on his performances, Son received his third Premier League Player of the Month award on 13 November 2020.[117]
On 28 January 2021, Son's counterpart on the
Korean Women's National Team,
Cho So-hyun joined
FA WSL side
Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season.[118] With Son already at the club it gave Spurs the rare distinction of having both the Men's and Women's Korean National Team Captains at one club.[119]
On 2 January 2021, Son scored his 100th goal for Tottenham in the 3–0 win against
Leeds.[120] On 10 February 2021, he provided three assists, but Tottenham lost 5–4 to
Everton in the
FA Cup.[121] On 7 March, Son provided an assist to Harry Kane in a 4–1 win against Crystal Palace, and this, their 14th combined goal effort whereby one assisted another, set a record for the most goal combinations in a single Premier League season.[122] After the end of the season, he and Kane were selected for the
PFA Premier League Team of the Year, although Tottenham finished in seventh place.[123]
2021–22: Premier League Golden Boot
On 23 July 2021, Son extended his contract with Tottenham until 2025.[124] On 15 August, he scored his first goal of the season in the opening match against Manchester City, which ended in a 1–0 win.[125] On 4 November, he scored in new manager
Antonio Conte's first match in charge, a 3–2 victory over
Vitesse in the group stage of the
Europa Conference League. In doing so, Son had the distinction of scoring the first goal under each of Tottenham's last three permanent managers.[126][127] On 26 February, Son scored a goal against Leeds United in a 4–0 win; the goal was assisted by Harry Kane meaning this was the 37th time Kane and Son had combined to score, which set a new record in goal-scoring partnerships in the Premier League.[128]
After winning the Golden Boot the previous season, Son had a poor start to the
2022–23 season, failing to score any goal in the first eight games and proving only one assist.[132] He ended his goal drought in the game against
Leicester City on 17 September, when he came off the bench to score a hat-trick in 13 minutes to help Tottenham win 6–2.[133] On 1 November, Son collided with
Marseille's
Chancel Mbemba during the final matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage, which caused an
orbital fracture in his left eye.[134] Son managed to recover enough to play in the
2022 World Cup for South Korea, wearing a protective mask in all his matches.[135]
On 19 February 2023, after scoring a 72nd minute goal against West Ham to secure a 2–0 victory, Son was subjected to online racist abuse, which was condemned as "utterly reprehensible" by Tottenham and the
Kick It Out anti-racism organisation.[136] Despite enduring a difficult season for Tottenham, on 8 April, Son scored his
100th Premier League goal in a 2–1 win over
Brighton & Hove Albion, and became the first Asian player to reach that landmark.[137]
The day after Tottenham's last league game of the season against
Leeds United, on May 29, Son underwent an operation to treat a
hernia issue.[138] In an interview with
TV Chosun, Son revealed that he carried the injury with him for 8–9 months, which allowed him to play only at 60% of his normal ability for much of the season.[139]
2023–24: Inheriting the captaincy
On 12 August 2023, it was announced that Son had been made Tottenham's new
captain, replacing
Hugo Lloris.[140] On 2 September, he scored his first hat-trick as club's captain in a 5–2 away win over Burnley.[141] On 24 September, he scored two equalisers as Spurs drew 2–2 away against
Arsenal in the
North London derby, becoming the sixth player in the club's history to score 150 goals, after netting his 149th and 150th goals in the derby. Following the match, Son earned the praise of his manager
Ange Postecoglou, stating that "he's been outstanding as a leader and as a player [...] we have put him in that nine position now and he just works so hard. He is so team-first orientated, it is incredible”.[142] He scored the opening goal against
Liverpool on 1 October in a 2–1 victory at home, in Spurs' first victory against them in five years. This was his 200th professional goal in all competitions across top-division European football.[143] For his six goals in four games in September, he was later named Premier League Player of the Month, his fourth time receiving the award. He had a goal and two assists in a 4–1 victory over
Newcastle United on 10 December, becoming Tottenham's all-time assist leader in the Premier League with 83 assists.[144]
On 10 February 2024, Son made his return from the
2023 AFC Asian Cup, assisting teammate
Brennan Johnson to score a 90+6th minute goal, a late minute winner in a 2–1 win over
Brighton & Hove Albion. This prompted Postecoglou to hail him as "the best attacking player in the competition".[145] Son scored his first club goal of 2024 in a 3–1 victory against
Crystal Palace, where he was also awarded the Player of the Match award.[146]
International career
2009–2014: Youth level and first major tournaments
On 24 December 2010, Son was named in
South Korea national team's
squad for the
2011 AFC Asian Cup,[148] making his debut for the national team in a pre-tournament friendly against
Syria on 30 December.[149] At the tournament finals, Son scored his first international goal during a 4–1 group stage win against
India.[150] This goal made him the youngest goalscorer in the AFC Asian Cup history.
On 7 October 2011, after initially missing the first two matches of South Korea's
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign on 2 and 6 September 2011 due to an ankle injury, Son played in a
friendly against
Poland, and was again featured in 11 October World Cup qualifier against the
United Arab Emirates.[151][152] His selection for national team play was a point of concern for Son's father, however, who caused a stir by asking the Korea Football Association not to select his son for the national team in the immediate future so he can rest and mature more as a player.
Cho Kwang-rae, then the South Korea head coach, responded by saying that he would continue to call up Son when needed.[153]
Son turned down the opportunity to participate in the
2012 London Olympics, opting to concentrate on his club career at Hamburger SV. Son was quoted as saying, "In Korea, an Olympic appearance has a special meaning, but I want to speed up for Hamburg. What matters is to pour all my time into team training."[154] Son did, however, play for the national team in the autumn of 2012 for two
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against
Lebanon and
Iran,[155] and became a regular call-up in friendlies and World Cup qualifying matches in 2013. In the World Cup qualifier against
Qatar on 23 March 2013, Son came on as a substitute in the 81st minute and scored the winning goal in the 96th minute.[156]
In June 2014, Son was named in South Korea's squad for the
2014 World Cup.[157] On 22 June, he scored in a 4–2 defeat to
Algeria in the team's second group match.[158] The
Korea Football Association requested Bayer Leverkusen to allow Son to play in the
2014 Asian Games, as winning the gold medal at the tournament would grant Son exemption from military service. Despite Son affirming his interest and the KFA's efforts, Bayer Leverkusen refused to release him, as his absence would mean the team would lose him for at least six matches.[159]
2015–2018: Asian Cup runner-up and Asian Games gold
Son was selected for South Korea for the
2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. At the quarter-final stage, he scored both of the team's goals in the 2–0 extra time defeat of
Uzbekistan.[160] In the
final against
the hosts, managed by future manager
Ange Postecoglou, he equalised in added time, but his team lost 2–1 after extra time.[161] He was chosen as one of three forwards in the Team of the Tournament.[162]
In June 2016, Son was named as one of the three
overage players in
South Korea under-23 squad for the
2016 Summer Olympics. Son amassed two goals in the group stages with a goal against
Fiji and another against
Germany, helping his team to top the group with two wins and a draw. South Korea was eliminated by
Honduras in the quarterfinals, with Son missing crucial chances.[163]
On 13 June 2017, Son broke his right forearm after falling awkwardly on his arm during a
World Cup qualifier match in Doha against
Qatar.[165] He was part of the team that saw Korea qualify for the
2018 World Cup after a 0–0 draw against
Uzbekistan on 5 September 2017.[166] On 4 June 2018, Son was selected in
23-man squad for the World Cup.[167] On 23 June, Son scored a goal from outside the penalty area – a curling strike into the top corner – though his side was defeated with a 2–1 loss to
Mexico in their second group stage match of the World Cup.[168] On 27 June, during their final group stage match, he scored the second goal in the 97th minute in their 2–0 victory over world champions
Germany, sealing their elimination.[169]
Son was selected as one of three overage players permitted in the
under-23 team for the
football tournament at the
2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.[170] He captained the team in the final game of the group stage against
Kyrgyzstan, scoring the only goal of the match to help the team reach the knockout rounds.[171] He also captained the team in the knockout rounds and reached the final after the Taeguk Warriors beat
Vietnam, 3–1.[172][173] In the gold medal match, Son assisted in both extra-time goals in a 2–1 victory over
Japan, which guaranteed the entire squad's exemption from
mandatory military service.[174][175]
2019–present: Assuming the captaincy
Son was called up as
captain for the
2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates by
Paulo Bento, but missed the first two group matches due to an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur related to his call-up.[176] He recorded an assist in the third group game against
China.[177] However, his play at the tournament was lethargic due to lack of physical strength in his busy schedule,[178] and he returned to London following his team's defeat in the quarter-finals to the eventual champion
Qatar.[179]
Despite, still recovering from an eye injury, in October 2022, Son was named to lead the 26-man South Korean squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup.[180] Due to the tenderness of his injury, Son wore a mask that covered nearly half his face. Son failed to score a goal for his nation's group stage matches, but successfully led South Korea to the round of 16, for the first time since
2010, following a match winning assist to
Hwang Hee-chan in a shock 2–1 victory against
Portugal on 2 December,[181] before being eliminated by
Brazil following a 4–1 defeat on 5 December.[182]
Son played for the national team under manager
Jürgen Klinsmann in the
2023 AFC Asian Cup. He won a penalty and converted it into the opening goal in the second group stage match against
Jordan, which ended in a 2–2 draw.[183] He scored South Korea's first penalty, contributing to a 4–2 penalty shoot-out win over
Saudi Arabia in the round of 16.[184] His best performance in the competition came in a 2–1 quarter-final win over
Australia, where he won a crucial penalty in second-half stoppage time and scored the winning goal with a free-kick in extra time.[185] South Korea once again met Jordan in the semi-finals, but he failed to prevent a 2–0 defeat to them.[186]
Style of play
Son is a versatile player who can play in any
forward position,[3][187] (
winger,
second striker,
striker) and can even be deployed as an
attacking midfielder or
wing-back if necessary. He himself has confirmed this, saying, "I don't care where I play. The main thing is I'm in the game. I can play as a second striker or behind. Whatever the coach says, I'll do. I don't have a favorite position. I'll be anywhere and always on the throttle."[188][189]
Son is known for his two-footed ability, explosive pace, positional sense, movement, close control and clinical finishing which make him especially effective on the counter-attack.[190] Moreover, he has drawn praise from teammates and in the media for his selfless work-rate and defensive contribution, and is capable of providing assists for teammates, in addition to scoring goals himself.[189][191]
In recent years, particularly following his prolific success with Tottenham, he has been considered one of the best players in the world and has often been cited as the greatest Asian footballer of all time.[192][193][194][195][196]
In a 2021 interview, Sir
Alex Ferguson mentioned Son as a player that he wished he could have managed, calling him and then-teammate
Harry Kane "excellent players."[197]
Sponsorship and media
Son has a sponsorship deal with sportswear and equipment supplier
Adidas.[198] Since 2022, he has been a brand ambassador for British luxury fashion house
Burberry.[199] In March 2023, Son was named as the global face of the
Burberry's first campaign under its new chief creative officer
Daniel Lee along with
Georgia May Jagger.[200]
In February 2022, Son was selected as brand ambassador for American high-end luggage brand
Tumi.[201] In February 2024, he was upgraded to become a global ambassador for
Tumi and appeared on its global campaign with the new TUMI 19 Degree Aluminum collection.[202] On 7 August 2022, Son was named brand ambassador for
Calvin Klein Underwear in South Korea.[203]
Son has two officially licensed NFT collections that have been released in collaboration with NFTStar (a sports fandom social platform with a web3 community) that are available for purchase on OpenSea.[204] His first NFT collection is called the 'NFTStar Fan Pass – Son Heung Min', and the second NFT collection called 'Golden Shiny Boot' was a free mint project available for fan pass holders.[205]
As a South Korean player, Son has been subjected to racist abuse from fans during games and online.[136][209] Son has been part of the UEFA's Real Scars campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of online abuse and harassment of football players.[210]
^KFA 우수선수 해외유학 6기생, 29일 독일로 출국 (in Korean). Korea Football Association. 28 July 2008.
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^Pröpping, Andreas (6 October 2008).
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^손흥민"독일 함부르크 갑니다". Kangwon Ilbo (in Korean). 11 November 2009.
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^"Son ist Vehs Sturmjuwel". Hamburger Morgenpost (in German). Hamburg. 11 July 2010. Archived from
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^Chowdhury, Saj (13 September 2015).
"Sunderland 0–1 Tottenham". BBC Sport.
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^Jennings, Patrick (17 September 2015).
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^Rebien, Florian (30 July 2011).
"Wie viele Tore schießen Sie heute, Herr Son?" [How many goals will you score today, Mr. Son?]. Hamburger Morgenpost (in German). Hamburg.
Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
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cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
^축구팬들이 뽑은 '올해의 골'은 손흥민의 독일전 쐐기골 (in Korean). Korea Football Association. 13 December 2018.
Archived from the original on 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.