Explainer | Son Heung-min biography: net worth, family, military exemption for Tottenham Hotspur and South Korea stardom
- From his father’s strict training to becoming one half of Spurs’ deadly strike force, Son’s trailblazing career broken down
- ‘Sonny’ blossomed in Germany, exploded in England and is cementing his place as a South Korean icon
The only Asian footballer to score 50 English Premier League goals, scintillating South Korean forward Son Heung-min’s stock is only rising as he glided past the 100-goal mark for Tottenham Hotspur in January.
From his father’s meticulously strict coaching methods to swapping school for German football, to escaping military service; to completing mandatory military training mid-last season; to winning the 2020 Fifa Puskas Award by the end of it, here’s what you need to know about the player Real Madrid and Barcelona are reportedly trying to lure away from North London.
Son Heung-min was born on 8 July, 1992, in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province to a football-friendly family. He started with FC Seoul’s youth team before leaving school for German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV aged 16.
Upon graduating to the senior set-up and scoring 20 goals in 78 games, Son signed for Bayer 04 Leverkusen three years later for a club record fee.
His goals on the pitch and star power back home only kept increasing as he bagged another 29 in 86 and a big-name transfer soon became inevitable. In 2015, Tottenham signed Son for £22 million (HK$171 million) – making him the most expensive Asian footballer in history.
After a relatively sluggish start at Spurs, Son eventually broke into Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI with some crucial performances. The following season, he became the first Asian to win a Premier League player of the month award.