Son On The Pitch

We speak to South Korean football superstar Son Heung-Min about his new role as AIA Ambassador and how he pursues a healthier, longer, better life

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

IT WAS DECEMBER 2019 when I saw a thing of incredible beauty in the Premier League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley.

Half an hour into the game, Spurs forward Son Heung-Min receives the ball at the edge of his team’s box. He turns, looks up and pushes ahead tentatively. Two of his teammates begin surging ahead. Three players in Burnley’s claret begin converging on him – two from behind, one from his right.

Son runs on, as Burnley begins closing his passing lanes. At this point, there’s a voice at the back of my head that reminded me that this was Sean Dyche’s Burnley, built around compact, no-nonsense defending. Another thought crossed my mind: most solo runs in the Premier League end in a loss of possession, a statistic skewed by the fact that YouTube compilation videos only feature the relatively few runs that are successful. It’s terrible for context, but fantastic for views.

So, there I was, expecting a turnover in possession. A fourth man in claret steps up from the Burnley defensive line. He sticks his foot out to tackle...

But Son has other ideas. A slight shift of the hips, a quick toe poke, and Son surges past the defender in a display of unadulterated speed. The ball rolls towards the Burnley centre-back, a burly 1.83-metre Dutchman named Erik Pieters, who dives in, ready to kick the ball or, failing that, Son himself. But Son pivots with a true winger’s agility, and with lightning-quick feet, pushes the ball just past Pieters’ reach. This takes Son clear of Burnley’s defence.