Son Heung-min (31) of Tottenham Hotspur made his A-match debut in a friendly match against Syria on Dec. 30, 2010. It was a friendly match that the Korean national soccer team played ahead of the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.
On January 18, 2011. Son Heung-min scored his A-match debut goal in the third Group C match against India at the Asian Cup. It was after three A matches.
Park Ji-sung, the captain of the national team at the time, spared no help to Son Heung-min, who was the youngest, to score his A-match debut goal.
Son Heung-min recalled the day.
Son Heung-min said, “I’m very lucky to be able to kick the ball with (Park) Ji-sung in my soccer life,” adding, “I learned a lot from living with Ji-sung in the 2011 Asian Cup.”
“I watched Ji Sung’s day carefully. I tried to learn everything about what to eat, prepare for the game, and when to sleep. I also cannot forget the moment of my debut goal. I had to advance to No. 1 in the group. I didn’t have time to celebrate my goal. (Laughs) I remember (Lee) told me to bring the ball with me. I wanted to do well. Back then, I never imagined myself here.” Son Heung-min recalled.
Fourteen years have passed since then.
Son is considered one of the best players in Korean soccer history. Son is the first Asian player to top the scorers in the English Premier League. He has continued to display stellar performance as a top striker in the EPL, which is full of world’s best players.
Son has scored 48 goals in 126 A-match games. Korea ranks third with the most goals scored in A-match games and fifth with the most goals played in the games.
Son is trailing Hwang Sun-hong, who has scored second overall, by two goals. If Son plays one more game, he will tie for fourth with Lee Young-pyo who has played the most games.
Son Heung-min is likely to surpass Cha Bum-keun (58 goals in 136 games), Korea’s most prolific scorer and most prolific player in A matches.
Son Heung-min said, “I’m not the only one who can set the record because I’m good at it,” adding, “I’ve been able to do it so far because of my teammates, coaches, coaches, and fans.”
Son continued, “It is always an honor to be able to play with the national flag. The national team demands so much. This is because it is the place that every soccer player dreams of. I made it to the position through hard work, but it is really difficult to maintain it. That is why it is all the more honor for me. I will not lose my initial commitment. I will do my best every moment.” 유흥알바
Just as Son learned by watching Park Ji-sung, countless players are dreaming by watching him. A case in point is Bae Joon-ho, born in 2003, the youngest member of the Korean national team. Bae Joon-ho, who joined the national team for the first time in June, couldn’t hide his joy at the first meeting with Son.
Son Heung-min said, “There are players with endless growth potential,” adding, “It feels good to see young players play soccer happily.”
“I sometimes see what I lack. At times like that, I want to give some advice. Just as Ji-sung and Young-pyo did. I also have one thing I would like to ask of you. I have seen many situations where young players get a little worse in the spotlight. Not only in Korea. That happened a lot in Europe, too. I hope you keep an eye on Lee Kang-in’s growth.” The same goes for Bae Jun-ho. He is a very good player in terms of ability. He must be feeling a lot of pressure on himself. I hope we can help him to display his skills comfortably.” This is what Son Heung-min said.
