Local fans reacted to everything his son did-even a harmless wave of hands.
“Welcome to Seoul,” South Korean forward said cheerfully when his teammates left the arrival terminal to start their summer tour.
What Tottenham described as a “special” greeting may not be a very novel experience for a 30-year-old forward.
When his son returned home with a historic golden boot in late May, a fan greeting him at the airport shouted, “Hung Min, I love you!” The camera flashed and caught the most beloved athlete in the country.
From Chuncheon to North London
Under his father’s supervision, his son started playing soccer as a child in Chunkawa, about 46 miles northeast of Seoul.
He was selected as one of the six members of the Korea Football Association (KFA) FA Youth Project in 2009 and participated in the German Youth Academy in Hamburg. There he eventually moved on to his first team and made his professional debut at the age of 18.
In 2015, South Korean stars made a major move from Leverkusen to Premier League regular Tottenham just three days before the summer transfer window closed.
Since then, he has broken the record set by Park Ji-sung, the only Asian player to play in the Premier League for the first time as a Korean and to win the UEFA Champions League, and Cha Bum-kun, who has played more than 300 games. I am. Bundesliga in Eintracht Frankfurt and Leverkusen from 1979 to 1989.
In May, Song surpassed Cha’s 17-goal record as the most goals scored by Korean players during the Europa League season. He was also the first Asian football player to win the Premier League Golden Shoe with 23 goals during the season-at the same level as Liverpool’s Mosara.
Forward, who made his 100th international appearance in June, also plays an important role in the national team.
His son won the Asian Games gold medal in 2018, and Korea beat Germany 2-0 on the 2018 Russia World Cup group stage to secure the game and put the winner in the empty net. I did.
Korean love for “Sonny” and Spurs
Before Son moved to northern London, Tottenham was known as the team played by Kaede Lee, the hero of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea. However, the team was not as recognized as Manchester United, the country’s worshiped team for the park.
When Park retired in 2014, Korean soccer fans and the media were looking for a player who could lead the Korean match, “Next Park.”
Following Park, several other Korean soccer players entered the Premier League, but none of them achieved the level of success of the Red Devils midfielder.
When he settled in northern London and began to establish himself as a top-class player, Tottenham became Korea’s hottest and most favored overseas team.
Koreans are in love with their sensational strikers and his club, whether they are soccer fans or not.
Participating in Spurs matches is a must for Koreans traveling in Europe, where his son’s shirt jumps off the shelves of Asian countries and news broadcasts spread him extensively if their hero scores a goal. Cover to.
Due to the popularity of his son, four official Spurs Supporters Clubs have been established throughout Korea, including his hometown of Gangwon-do Spurs in Chuncheon.
People were excited when Tottenham announced a pre-season tour to Seoul-the club’s first visit with his son and full team-and it didn’t take long for the Spurs two-game tickets to sell out.
In addition to his son’s historic achievements, fans say he is in love with his humble personality.
The son always acknowledges his success to his father, as he himself got the game under the guidance of his retired soccer player, his father.
In his book “What I thought when I was playing soccer,” the soccer player said his father often told him to “be humble.” His son’s father, Eun Jung, told Korean media in June that he believes his son is not a world-class player even after bringing back the Golden Boot.
When his son posted a Golden Boot thanks post on Instagram, fans praised him as “he speaks well,” “you are world class,” and “I’m very proud of you as a Korean.” called.
The admiration was soaked Wednesday night in Seoul, with 64,100 fans filling the capital’s World Cup Stadium and watching the Spurs play in the Team K League.
After a 6-3 victory where the local hero braced, “Sonny” thanked the fans who came out late on a rainy night and made them fall in love with him again.
And because it’s another friendly to go to South Korea’s Spurs against Sevilla at 8 pm local time on Saturday, Tottenham has the potential to win even more fans on the land of Asian superstars.
Source: www.cnn.com
