Son Heung Min's legacy

There's a debate going on in the South Korean football fan community: a comparison between Park Ji Sung and Son Heung Min, to see who is the better player.

Son Heung Min is already a legend in the world of football - Photo: Reuters

Of course, they belong to different generations, with Park being 11 years older than Son. They were only teammates for a short time on the national team.

Don't compare Son to Park.

And as usual, titles will be the first thing to consider when making comparisons. If we only rely on that criterion, Park Ji Sung completely surpasses Son Heung Min.

The former Manchester United midfielder won the Champions League and numerous major titles in England. And Park Ji Sung belongs to the legendary generation that helped South Korea create a sensation at the 2002 World Cup.

But if we compare them in that way, we'll see that Mbappe can never be compared to… Lucas Vazquez. Although only a reserve player in Real Madrid's legendary generation, Lucas Vazquez lifted the Champions League trophy countless times (while Mbappe has yet to win the continental competition).

After exactly 10 years wearing the Tottenham shirt, Son Heung-min has only won one title, when the "Spurs" won the Europa League last season. Without that title, the South Korean superstar would have left England empty-handed.

But even so, Son Heung-min remains a unique legend in the history of football. Football fans are rational. And when watching the match, everyone recognizes Son Heung-min's superiority over all other Asian players.

What the South Korean superstar has achieved in football is comparable to Bruce Lee's influence in the martial arts world. The perception of Asian players in top-level football can be divided into two time periods: before and after Son Heung-min's emergence.

Changing perceptions of Asians

In the summer of 2023, Harry Kane left London for Bayern Munich. The reason? Because he wanted to win trophies.

Compared to Son Heung-min, Kane is truly Tottenham's "darling," having been with the London club since he was just a 10-year-old boy. Kane even captained the England national team. A player who clearly embodies the spirit of an "English knight," yet still chose to leave his homeland to seek trophies.

It was at that time that Son Heung-min became even more beloved by Tottenham fans. Two years earlier, the South Korean star was still at the peak of his form. But he chose to stay, relentlessly chasing titles with Tottenham instead of leaving like Kane.

That very contrast makes any comparison between Park and Son meaningless. If he really wanted to, Son could have chosen Liverpool – where manager Jurgen Klopp has openly expressed his desire to sign him for a long time – or a bigger club than Tottenham.

But that doesn't matter; it's precisely Tottenham's long-standing thirst for a title that makes Son's greatness even greater. Over the years, the Premier League has seen champions like Takumi Minamino and Wataru Endo. Kim Min Jae – Son Heung-min's teammate – won both Serie A and the Bundesliga, while Lee Kang In even achieved a historic treble with PSG.

But none of them can compare to Son? Not at all. Endo and Minamino are nothing more than Liverpool's reserve players, Kim Min Jae is heavily criticized by Bayern Munich fans, and Lee Kang In is only noticed by coach Luis Enrique in meaningless matches…

Even the legendary Park Ji Sing was like that. In 2008, manager Alex Ferguson even left him out of the squad for the Champions League final – a simple decision that speaks volumes about Park's standing at Man United.

As for Son Heung-min, through many different managers, he has always been an irreplaceable pillar at Tottenham. When Kane left, Son even became the team's number one icon.

What Son Heung-min achieved at Tottenham is a legacy. Before Son's arrival, European football had already recognized the talents of Park Ji-sung, Keisuke Honda, Ali Daei, and others…

But it wasn't until Son's arrival that the football world truly acknowledged that an Asian footballing nation could still produce players capable of competing for the Ballon d'Or.

In 10 seasons with Tottenham, Son Heung-min scored 173 goals in 454 appearances. Throughout his career, Son Heung-min has scored 223 goals for professional clubs, all in Europe (before Tottenham, he scored for Hamburg and Leverkusen).

Son Heung-min has also scored 51 goals in 134 appearances for the South Korean national team. At 33 years old, the South Korean superstar promises to extend his playing career for at least another two years.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/di-san-cua-son-heung-min-20250805234609087.htm