South Korean football star Son Heung-min's journey to the top

Tottenham striker talks to Nikkei Asia about rise of Asian players in Europe

KIM JAEWON, RHYANNON BARTLETT-IMADEGAWA, Nikkei staff writers, and JOHN DUERDEN, contributing writer

March 1, 2023 06:00 JST

LONDON/SEOUL -- When London football clubs Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham met on Feb. 19, the pre-match talk on sports broadcasts focused on one player: Tottenham's Son Heung-min.

Days before the game, and without explanation, Tottenham had made a controversial decision to bench the star South Korean forward, who shared the Premier League's Golden Boot award last year for most goals scored. It was only the second time Son has not started a game in the league since 2020.