Father of Spurs forward advises Son to leave club to be considered world-class

My Football Facts ⇒ Articles

By Martin Graham | 14th Jun 2022

Son Woong-jung, father of Son Heung-Min, has advised his son to move away from Tottenham Hotspur to be considered world-class.

The 29-year-old has been in North London for the past seven years and has grown into one of the most fearsome attackers in the Premier League. He ended the current season with 23 goals to share the golden boot honours with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

He has also formed an elite partnership with Harry Kane and is now one-half of the Premier League’s deadliest duo. Both Son and Kane have combined to 41 goals since they started playing together, beating Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba of Chelsea.

His achievements in football saw him awarded the Cheongnyong medal, given to exceptional athletes who have served the country, by president of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol.

Like Kane, however, his talents are wasted at Spurs who have been unable to build on them to power their way to a trophy. Things are looking up for the South Korea national team captain but his father, Woong-jung, has insisted that his son has much more to offer elsewhere than at Spurs.

What has been said

60-year-old Woong-jung, who played for South Korea as a forward in his days, said of his son’s time at Spurs and his need to move elsewhere: “He must work harder and make more progress. If he is satisfied with what he has achieved now, crisis is on the way.

“He must always try to do better to stay in the best form, don’t you think? Instead of being happy to stay where he is, I always want him to be 10 percent better.

“He [Son] must be able to play a solid role in one of the world’s top clubs. That’s when he will become a world class player. He scored a lot of goals this year, but it doesn’t mean he will do the same next year.

“Only those who stay ready can survive the difficulties. He must face everything with a cautious mind and can’t afford to be too proud.”

The former Bayer Leverkusen man is currently tied to a contract at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium until 2025 but it is unknown if he intends to see out the contract or seek a move elsewhere.

Liverpool were rumoured to be interested in signing him as a replacement for Sadio Mane who is set to depart Anfield at the end of the season. However, Antonio Conte blocked the move as he hopes to build a team around the South Korean and Kane to challenge for the tip titles in England next season.