World Soccer - UK (2021-03)

reporter Kai Schiller. Oenning need not

have bothered. Minutes later, Son gained

possession, took on and beat a string of

defenders and slotted home. “He straight

away realised he’d gone against my

orders. Instead of a little celebration, he

put his hands to his head and ran over to

apologise to Van Nistelrooy.” Bashful and

repentant: classic Son.

Despite scoring no fewer than nine

goals in that pre-season – including one

in a friendly against Chelsea – his

first-team breakthrough would have to

be put on ice. Late in the Chelsea game,

he broke his foot, forcing him to the

nobody helped him as much as HSV
assistant coach/head coach Michael
Oenning, who worked ceaselessly at
ironing out the wrinkles in the
youngster’s play, and improving his
tactical nous. Oenning says the Korean
was always a special talent, happy to
point out that even on Son’s first day of
training with the professionals in the
summer of 2010, the then17-year-old
was a sheer showstopper.
“I told him, in the first instance, to
look to play in striker Ruud van
Nistelrooy,” revealed Oenning in
conversation with Hamburg sports

sidelines for a couple of months.

Tottenham manager Mauricio

Pochettino would prove to be another

key mentor. Acquired from Bayer

Leverkusen for £22 million in 2015, Son

found the going tough in his first season

in the Premier League - a starter in only

13 games and accumulating just four

goals. He was sufficiently frustrated to

contemplate calling it quits, only for

Pochettino to persuade him to knuckle

down and fight for his place. Wise

counsel indeed. The following campaign

he was considerably more productive

(34 competitive starts and 21 goals) and

DEC 30, 2010

Makes his debut

for South Korea

in a friendly against

Syria ahead of

the 2011 AFC

Asian Cup.

JUN 13, 2013

Signs for Bayer

Leverkusen for a

reported fee of

€10 million, the

highest transfer fee

in the club’s history

at the time.

AUG 25, 2015

Joins Tottenham

for£22mto

become the

most expensive

Asian player in

football history.

SEP 13, 2015

Makes his

Tottenham debut

in a1-0 Premier

League win against

Sunderland, before

being subbed off in

the second half.

Deadly duo...Kane

and Son have been

a lethal combination

this season

ABOVE: Title
challengers...
Son scored twice
in Spurs’ 6-1
demolition of
Manchester United
at Old Trafford