The best Asian footballer of all time? The legend of Son Heung-min
The debate about who is the best Asian player in history always generates discussions. It is a subjective question, which depends on the criteria of each person, whether it is collective success or individual achievements.
However, Son Heung-min is shaping up to be a strong contender to be considered the best Asian footballer of all time, and his legend, both in Asia and among the Tottenham Hotspur fans, is now moving to the United States.
After an emotional farewell from Tottenham, the next chapter of Son’s career was confirmed when he completed his transfer to LAFC, for a record sum of $26 million in MLS.
The South Korean captain is a world-renowned figure. Over the last decade, he has shone at one of the most important clubs in England and Europe.
If the Premier League is considered the most competitive national competition in the world, Son’s 2021-22 season, in which he won the Golden Boot (shared with Mohamed Salah with 23 goals), established him as a world-class player.
Only in his first and last seasons with Tottenham did he not reach double figures in league goals, and many of those campaigns he played as a winger, not as the focal point of the attack, a role he assumed after Harry Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich.
If consistency is one of his greatest attributes, his ability for the spectacular is perhaps what has made him an icon for his numerous followers. The “Goal of the season” awards adorn Son’s trophy cabinet.
One of them even earned him the FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal in the world in 2020: an impressive 70-yard run from outside his own penalty area, in which he left the entire Burnley team behind before calmly finishing past the goalkeeper.
Son, an indisputable talent. But perhaps what really elevated him to the player he is today is what happens behind the scenes, something few know.
He recounted how his father, also a former footballer, forced him to juggle the ball for four hours straight in his youth. While probably not the most orthodox training method, it certainly perfected Son’s now-famous technique and ball control, and also instilled in him a certain level of commitment to his craft.
“Sonny” had a very special gift. He had a lot of talent [but] you can see many talented players in Europe. His father did a lot for him. The hard work, even with his father, took him, in my opinion, to another level. That’s why, perhaps, he is the best Asian player who has played football. It’s talent, but also a lot, a lot of hard work.
The belief that Son had what it took to succeed professionally was a key factor in his parents allowing him to drop out of high school in Seoul and join Hamburg’s academy at the age of 16. At 18, Son had already impressed enough to debut as a professional.
Immediate comparisons were drawn with his compatriot Cha Bum-kun, a pioneer who won two UEFA Cups (as the Europa League was formerly known) in the 1980s with German clubs such as Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen. Son would eventually follow in Cha’s footsteps by joining Leverkusen in 2013.
Two years later, Tottenham called him, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Premier League isn’t always kind to new foreign signings. It can be harsh and unforgiving. Three summers before Son’s signing, another prodigious Asian talent had also impressed in the Bundesliga, earning him a big move to the Premier League.
Shinji Kagawa, signed by Manchester United, fresh from his key role in Borussia Dortmund’s consecutive Bundesliga titles, under the direction of Jürgen Klopp, generated greater expectation.
Although he won the Premier League in his first year, which coincided with Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season in charge, he was never able to fully establish himself and left even before Son arrived.
Many, like Dong Fangzhuo and Junichi Inamoto, were considered marketing moves. Others worked admirably, but at less illustrious clubs like Shinji Okazaki, who, it must be admitted, won the Premier League in that fairytale season with Leicester City.
Hidetoshi Nakata, the only player who preceded Son and who probably had a similar global profile as an Asian player, only moved to Bolton Wanderers at a time when his powers, and interest in the professional game, were waning.Son had similar obstacles adapting to the Premier League. He scored only four goals in his debut season. With the determination and commitment to his craft that now embodies what he brings to the field, he persevered.
His second season saw him score 14 goals in the league and 21 in all competitions. He has never looked back since then.
So, who is really the best Asian footballer of all time? Is it the one who just moved to the MLS?
From the perspective of the team’s success, Park Ji-sung would be a popular alternative answer, and he is someone Son has referred to in the past as a role model. Park’s successful spell at United saw him win four Premier League titles, three League Cups, and a UEFA Champions League crown.
It could even have been two continental titles, given Ferguson’s suspicion that the 2011 final against Barcelona was lost because he didn’t bring on his South Korean nullifier to play against Lionel Messi at halftime, when the score was still tied 1-1.Nakata did not enjoy much longevity in his career but, at his peak, he boasted an irrefutable quality. With six matchdays remaining in the 2000-01 Serie A season, his excellent cameo, where he came off the bench and participated in both goals for Roma, who came back to draw 2-2 with Juventus, effectively secured the Scudetto for the capital club.
Although less known to many, Ali Daei of Iran also has arguments in his favor. The Bayern striker, who once held the record of 108 international goals, was surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021.
There are also pioneers like Cha, whose 308 Bundesliga appearances were a record as an Asian import that stood for 30 years. However, none of them can claim to be among the best players in the world at any given time.
They are, possibly, yes. However, perhaps the debate about the best Asian footballer of all time is not one that should be answered in this conversation. Among some highly esteemed colleagues, it can simply be agreed that Son is a legend in his own right.
And that is the brilliant legacy that he will bring with him to LAFC and MLS.
