The Tottenham boss described the South Korea ace as a “good example” for people and praised his “unbelievable” adaptation following his Spurs move.
Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has compared Son Heung-min to David Beckham in terms of his iconic status in Asia and also praised him for how he overcame a “tough” first season to become a key player for Spurs (Daily Mail).
The South Korea international joined the Premier League club in the summer of 2015 and took a while to find his feet following his move, but he has improved year on year, with last season’s overall tally standing at 20 goals and 10 assists in 48 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt).
Son’s performances were key in Tottenham going all the way to the final of the Champions League and securing a top-four place in the Premier League table last term, with much expected from him and the team in 2019-20 as Spurs seek to end their wait for silverware.
With the 27-year-old being the focus of much attention as the Lilywhites travelled first to Singapore and now to China for their International Champions League matches – first Juventus, Manchester United coming up – Pochettino spoke highly of his player.
“We can see how people love Sonny in Asia, he’s an icon. We joked a bit, but I compare him with David Beckham,” Pochettino is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying. “But I’m not surprised and it’s good to see how people love him and how important he is to people.
“He is a good example for all the fans and people, not only here in Asia but in the whole world. His first season was tough, it was tough to adapt to England, to new football, new culture, new habits. But after the first season his adaptation was unbelievable and he became a very important player for us.”
The game between Tottenham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils takes place on Thursday at 7:30pm local time (12:30pm BST) and after that, Spurs will take on Real Madrid at Munich’s Allianz Arena and Inter Milan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
