Paul Mitchell has shared that he took ‘a lot of criticism’ when Tottenham Hotspur initially decided to sign Heung-min Son in 2015, as he told Sky Sports News (28/07/22 at 11:05 am).
The former Spurs recruitment expert added that he was once told by a staff member, whilst watching the players train, that Son ‘wasn’t a good finisher’, but he told that individual ‘you are wrong’.
Seven years ago, the London club paid Bayer Leverkusen £22 million for Son’s talent (Guardian), with the then-23-year-old becoming part of an ever-impressive Mauricio Pochettino side.
From Sadio Mane, when he was at Southampton, to playing a part in the captures of Toby Alderweireld and Dele Alli at White Hart Lane, Mitchell has brought in some high-quality players to the Premier League.
But when talking about the Son transfer, he shared how he didn’t exactly get a warm welcome when first signing the now 2021/22 Premier League Golden Boot winner.
“I took quite a lot of criticism in my first year at Tottenham for some of the decisions and Sonny was at the centre of that,” said Mitchell.
“Once again, it’s a little bit of a learning for me that sometimes players need time. They are human beings. They need to settle. Sonny had a great track record at Hamburg and Leverkusen.
“I remember this narrative that started to grow internally and externally as well that he wasn’t a good finisher. I remember one of the staff members saying to me when I was watching a training session and I said ‘you’re wrong’.
“I said, ‘history shows, at Leverkusen being a big club, he’s a very astute finisher off both sides’ and what we have seen over the years since, after that first year of integration and sometimes you need that patience because you know the quality of the individual, is everything we saw – he will go down as a great player in Premier League history.”
SON ONE OF TOTTENHAM’S GREATS
A Premier League record-breaker, Golden Boot winner and a character that is much-loved by Tottenham fans, Son will go down as a great at the north London club.
The partnership he has built up with Harry Kane is one that will be remembered for a very long time and it’s something that puts fear into the opposition’s eye.
Many will question, without them, where on earth Tottenham would be right now? Because they certainly wouldn’t be preparing for Champions League football ahead of the new campaign.
The one thing that alludes the South Korean star, as well as Kane, is that trophy, and that’s where somebody like Antonio Conte comes into the picture.
With Son and Kane leading the line, added with the serial winner and world-class Conte in the dugout, if Spurs want to win a big trophy, well, they’re not going to get a better chance.
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