Tottenham booked their place in the semifinals of the Champions League under thrilling circumstances last night.
Manchester City’s late winner was overruled by VAR and Fernando Llorente’s goal sent the Londoners through on away goals.
Few would have given Spurs a chance ahead of the game, especially without Harry Kane. However, Son Heung-Min ensured that his side would make it to the final four eventually.
The South Korean’s rise as a footballing superstar over the years has been quite remarkable.
From a relatively unknown entity at Hamburger SV, Son has made it to the top tier of European football in the last few years.
The versatile forward made a name for himself in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen and he earned his move to the Premier League in 2015.
Since then, the 26-year-old hasn’t looked back.
Son is one of the best players in the Premier League and he is undoubtedly one of the best forwards in the world.
The technically gifted forward has proven himself in the Champions League, in the Premier League and at the international level as well. He helped his country win gold at the 2018 Asian Games.
In the absence of Harry Kane, the South Korean has carried Spurs over the line so many times this season.
He has clearly taken his game to another level. He has 20 goals and 7 assists in all competitions for Tottenham already. There is no doubt that this could end up being the best season of his career so far – statistically and in terms of achievements.
Tottenham have a great chance of making it to the finals of the Champions League.
There have been a few outstanding Asian players in European football over the years, but Son Heung-Min is in a league of his own.
Son’s performance against Manchester City helped him become the leading goalscoring Asian in Champions League history with 12 goals.
His ability to deliver in the big games, produce at the highest level with consistency and his attitude makes him the best Asian footballer to grace European football.
The likes of Kagawa and Park have done exceedingly well at Dortmund and Manchester United and they have won more trophies as well.
However, in terms of sheer talent and ability Son has surpassed them so far. The Spurs ace is still only 26 and he could win the biggest trophy in club football in a few weeks’ time.
Park was a very good squad player for Manchester United but that is all he was, an option for Sir Alex Ferguson. The midfielder was extremely reliable and he put in some fantastic displays over the years for the Red Devils but he never quite managed to establish himself as one of the best players in the league or in Europe.
As for Kagawa, he was exceptional a Dortmund but his career took a nosedive at Manchester United and he has been struggling to recapture his form ever since.
Son is also a far more rounded player. The South Korean has averaged 1.5 dribbles per game this season, 1 key pass per game, a passing accuracy of 85%. He also has 1.3 tackles per game in the Champions League. (stats via Whoscored)
Ali Daei, Nakamura and Nakata are some other notable mentions but Son Heung-Min is on the up right now and his ability and dedication suggest that he is here to stay.
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