When Son Heung-min went down clutching his face in a latest Champions League match, the ache was not confined to the Tottenham striker’s fractured eye socket.

The shockwaves have been felt all the way in which again in his homeland of South Korea, the place the nation collectively feared the worst forward of the World Cup.

Son is his nation’s Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo wrapped up into one. He is an immense supply of nationwide satisfaction — having established himself as one of many main soccer gamers on this planet — and the best hope of success going into Qatar.

His harm within the match towards Marseille was massive information again house, with one publication describing it as ”Korea’s massive emergency.” Tottenham later confirmed Son would require surgical procedure, however no timeframe has been positioned on his restoration. If he’s to play any half within the World Cup, which begins on Nov. 20, it appears sure he would require a protecting masks.

It’s a merciless blow for a participant who, on the age of 30, is at his peak going into the event.

Last season, Son shared the Premier League’s Golden Boot with Liverpool ahead Mo Salah because the main scorers. He has not been as prolific this season, however there have nonetheless been highlights, together with a hat trick towards Leicester in September and two objectives towards Eintracht Frankfurt.

Qatar was a possibility for him to succeed in new heights.

Son is a participant who is continually setting new benchmarks — relationship again to when he first headed to Europe to hitch Hamburg’s academy in Germany in 2008. Marcell Jansen is now the membership’s president, however again then he was a teammate and watched the ahead’s early steps.

”I used to be instantly impressed by his mentality and perspective,” Jansen advised The Associated Press. ”He would at all times work additional shifts along with his father and subsequently skilled twice as a lot as everybody else did.” There is a standard theme when individuals speak about Son’s qualities. His power of character and willpower are sometimes talked about, however his game-changing expertise is what has seen him set up himself as among the best forwards within the sport.

His supreme steadiness, two-footedness, tempo and ending make him a whole attacking pressure that has complimented Harry Kane so successfully at Tottenham.

”I’ve hardly ever seen a participant who shoots as effectively along with his left foot as along with his proper, unbelievable,” Jansen mentioned.

Jonas Boldt has made a profession out of unearthing expertise as a scout and sporting director for Bayer Leverkusen and now head of sport at Hamburg. He was at Leverkusen when the membership signed Son from Hamburg for $8.7 million in 2013. At that time, the key was out in regards to the gamers’ expertise in Germany, if not additional afield.

”In phrases of play, his strengths undoubtedly lie in his quick, fast actions and his ending power. These expertise set him aside,” Boldt advised the AP. ”He was a proficient footballer, with out query. But his wonderful mentality and his iron will are the attributes that made him even higher at each degree and made him this prime participant.

”Heung-min is a participant who has confirmed himself repeatedly at a better degree and tailored. On prime of that, with Tottenham he moved to a membership that had a transparent concept with him and a coach (Mauricio Pochettino) who did not pack him in cotton wool, however challenged him quite a bit. And right here once more Heung-min’s nice character got here into play.” Son’s father, Woong-jung, is a former skilled soccer participant and has been a guiding pressure in his profession. He would watch his son at coaching classes when he moved to Germany.

While the elder Son has been instrumental, so, it appears, was his grounding within the German league, which has established itself as a wealthy developer of expertise — most not too long ago within the type of Erling Haaland at Borussia Dortmund earlier than the Norwegian’s switch to Manchester City.

Back in South Korea, Son’s celeb is such that his endorsements vary from banking to razors to prompt noodles and automobiles. Every Tottenham recreation is screened stay and a picture of his face seems within the prime nook to allow viewers to shortly decide if he’s enjoying or not.

But that degree of fame has not been replicated in England, regardless of Son being one of many Premier League’s prime gamers.

”For me, it is completely clear: Heung-min just isn’t a participant who continually seeks the limelight and a spotlight,” Brandt mentioned. ”If you take a look at the award ceremonies these days, such because the Golden Boot, the gamers’ self-marketing comes into play and performs a task. Maybe Heung-min would not connect that a lot significance to it, appears a bit extra shy.” South Korean followers will probably be determined to see that picture of Son’s face within the nook of their tv screens throughout the World Cup. But even when harm means he’s unable to provide his finest in Qatar, Jansen is satisfied there may be rather more to return from him.

”The World Cup is a good stage for Sonny to characterize himself and his nation,” Jansen mentioned. ”But whatever the World Cup, I’m positive that Sonny may have a profession so long as Messi or Ronaldo as a result of he is such an extremely match participant who lives for the game.

”I anticipate him to go down in historical past as one of many biggest footballers from his nation.” AP SSC SSC

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