Son Heung-Min
Encyclopedia
Son Heung-Min (born 8 July 1992) is a South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

n footballer who plays for German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

 side Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...

.

Hamburger SV

In 2008, Son dropped out of FC Seoul Academy
FC Seoul Academy
FC Seoul Academy are the youth academy of K-League club FC Seoul. The academy consists of U-18 Team, U-12 Team.-Coaching staff:- High School Club Challenge League Records :- High School Club Challenge Knockout Stage Records:...

 and joined Hamburg’s youth academy at the age of 16. He was impressive in the 2010–11 preseason, by leading the team with nine goals and signed his first professional contract on his 18th birthday. After scoring against Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

 in August, he was injured for two months due to a foot injury. He came back on 30 October 2010 scoring his first league goal against 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....

 in the 24th minute. The goal made Son the youngest
HSV player
 to have scored a goal in Bundesliga at 18 years, thus breaking the previous 39-year record held by Manfred Kaltz.

Son signed a new deal with Hamburg, which will keep him at the club until 2014. Due to his performances in the pre-season he is being affectionately nicknamed "Korean Müller
Gerd Müller
Gerhard "Gerd" Müller is a former German football player and one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time.With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was one of the...

" and received praise from Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed Der Kaiser because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" , and his dominance on the football pitch...

 who said that Son had what it takes to become the next Cha Bum Kun.

During the 2011–12 pre-season, Son scored 18 goals in 9 games. After missing the opening game due to a fever, Son scored two goals within three games. Unfortunately, mirroring last season, Son picked up an ankle injury in the 4-3 loss to 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....

 on 27 August and was initially projected to be out of action for four to six weeks. Fortunately, Son's recovery was quicker than expected, and he returned to action only three weeks later as a substitute in the 1-0 loss against Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...

 on 17 September.

International career

Son has made five appearances for South Korea at the senior level, netting one goal in the process against India in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...

. National team coach Cho Kwang-Rae acknowledged that Son hasn't been given enough chances at the international level and has promised greater consideration for Son's role in future matches.

Son initially missed the first two games of South Korea's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
The Asian Football Confederation section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees teams competing for berths in the final tournament in Brazil...

 campaign on 2 and 6 September due to an ankle injury, but he returned on 7 October in a friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

 against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...

, and he also played in the 11 October World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates national football team
The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates...

. His selection for national team play was a point of concern for Son's father, however, who caused a stir by asking the Korea Football Association not to select his son for the national team in the immediate future so he can rest and mature more as a player. South Korea coach Cho Kwang-Rae
Cho Kwang-Rae
Cho Kwang-Rae is a South Korean football manager, who managed Anyang LG Cheetahs formerly. Now, he is managing South Korea after succeeding Huh Jung Moo, who led Korea to the round of 16 for the first time in foreign soil in 2010 World Cup in South Africa.- Club career :*1978–1979 POSCO -...

 responded by saying that he would continue to call up Son when needed, including the next game against the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates national football team
The United Arab Emirates national football team represents United Arab Emirates in association football and is controlled by the United Arab Emirates Football Association, the governing body for football in United Arab Emirates...

.

Club

Club Season League
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...

German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...

Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Hamburg 2010–11
2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2010–11 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 48th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions and ended with the last games on 14 May 2011. The winter...

13 3 0 1 0 0 14 3 0
2011–12
2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga is the 49th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season started on 5 August 2011 with the season opening match involving defending champions Borussia Dortmund and will end with the last games on 5 May 2012...

10 3 0 1 0 0 11 3 0
Total 23602002560

International goals

Scores and results list South Korea's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 18 January 2011 Al Gharafa Stadium, Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...

, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...

 
4–1
4–1
2011 AFC Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...


Style of play

Son is known as a versatile attacker due to his ability to use both feet equally well; he can play either as a striker, attacking midfielder, or winger on either side. Son has confirmed this, saying, "I don't care where I play. The main thing is I'm game. I can play right, left, in the storm or behind it. What the coach says, I'll do. I don't have a favorite position. I'll be anywhere and always on the throttle." Other strengths of Son include his explosive pace, dribbling abilities, composure in front of goal, and hard-working nature.

External links

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