Tottenham’s Son Heung-min favourite for AFC Best International Player award

Spurs star, who has won award three times, heads 15-player shortlist boasting strong Japanese and Iraqi contingent

La Liga starlets Takefusa Kubo and Lee Kang-in join Bologna’s Takheiro Tomiyasu in also going for Best Young Player award

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min in action against Sheffield United in the English Premier League. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:36am, 18 Jan 2021Updated: 11:36am, 18 Jan 2021

Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean forward Son Heung-min leads the nominations for the Best AFC International Player of 2020 award, with the 15-man shortlist announced by the Asian Football Confederation.

Son, the South Korea captain, has been named AFC International Player of the Year a record three times, including last year, and he had an even stronger 2020 for his English Premier League side.

The 28-year-old added several individual awards including the Fifa Puskas Award and English Premier League Goal of the Season for his solo strike against Burnley in December 2019 – a goal which came the same day he was handed the AFC International Player of the Year award.

Son has since been named the KFA Men’s Player of the Year, Spurs Player of the Year and Best Footballer in Asia.

His fine form has continued into 2021. He has scored 12 times in the English Premier League and added another assist in his side’s 3-1 win over Sheffield United on Sunday.