Like many of his teammates, Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-Min has had a season to remember.
White Hart Lane was given a fitting send-off this weekend as the club ensured they went unbeaten at home in an entire league season for the first time since 1965, even if it wasn’t enough to bring a first Premier League title to the old ground.
Yet it was perhaps extra special for Son. The South Korean’s first season in the Premier League was a fairly underwhelming affair after a move from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015; at the time he was the third most expensive player the club had ever signed. He made 24 Premier League appearances (though only 10 of those were starts) and scored only four goals. 12 Premier League strikes this season, and 19 in all competitions, shows a marked improvement this time around.
“I just keep working hard,” Son said, speaking to EASPORTS.com. “I set myself the target of 10 goals this season but we also have three (now two) games left to play, which I want to score more goals in as well as assist my teammates. It is just important that we keep taking each game as it comes.”
His progress this season has seen him smash his target of 10 goals in all competitions as well as provide four assists, too. The improvement has been rapid enough not just to see him play a bigger role in this exciting Spurs side, but to win him the Premier League’s Player of the Month award twice, too, including the latest version in April.
“I am really happy but I am also really hungry to get my third Player Of The Month award,” said Son. “My family will also be really happy with me winning the Player Of The Month award again.”
Son has looked more and more at home as the season has gone on, both on and off the pitch. His goalscoring stats show a player who has made a solid contribution to the team, whilst his celebrations show a player who has a solid bond with his teammates: one of the lasting image for Tottenham fans of this season will be Son’s elaborate handshakes, unsheathed after goals.
“It’s just something new and different,” says Son. “Whether it’s with Dele or Harry Kane, every player has something different because we are a team and we are all friends on and off the pitch. Me and Dele were the first to start doing it and Dele introduced it to the team. Everyone thinks I am the handshake king but Dele always wants to try something new.”
If that’s one abiding memory of the season, though, there are plenty of others to go with it.
There is only one opponent – Liverpool – whom Spurs have failed to beat at least once in the league this season in a campaign in which Son’s side have taken in victories over Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal, in the final north London derby at White Hart Lane.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “Everyone is so excited around a North London Derby and I think we showed everyone just how good we are as a team. It’s a great memory for everyone to remember, beating Arsenal in the last ever North London derby at White Hart Lane. I was really happy as we performed great.”
But performing well at White Hart Lane is one thing, but next season, Spurs will call another stadium home for the first time in 118 years. And it’s one where they don’t have the happiest of recent memories. They’ve only won one game there all season: a Champions League group stage tie against CSKA Moscow, and all that was riding on that game was third place and qualification for the Europa League.
“We didn’t have the greatest of seasons at Wembley this year,” said Son. “We are very excited to be playing there next season though and I don’t think we will have any problems playing there next season.”
Next season will be a chance to put things right at the national stadium, a ground where Spurs have only won twice since it opened in 2007. Aside from the CSKA Moscow game this season, the 2008 League Cup final was the only other victory under Juande Ramos.
Perhaps Son will have time this summer to get used to the new stadium by playing there on FIFA 17 in preparation for the real thing in August. Is he the best
“I play quite a bit of FIFA,” says Son. “I would love to say I am the best but I would say Harry Kane is the best player at the game at the club. Me and Kevin Wimmer play FIFA 17 together a lot and he is very good, but a lot of the players at the club are very good at the game.”
Son Heung-Min was speaking to EASPORTS.com after being named as the EA SPORTS Player Of The Month for April. To read the full interview, head to EASPORTS.com
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