Owen says Tottenham man Son’s attitude is ‘exceptional’, he is driven not ‘selfish’

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Michael Owen has told the Premier League’s coverage of Tottenham beating West Ham on Sunday that Son Heung-min has an “exceptional” attitude – but says being dropped for the derby would have hit him “like a ton of bricks”.

Son, 30, has been a shadow of the player that finished level with Mo Salah in the race for the Premier League golden boot last season. But the South Korea captain came off the bench to nab his eighth goal of the season to make it 2-0.

It has happened before this season. Son was dropped in the 6-2 win over Leicester, only to come on and net a quick-fire hat-trick. So, he has clearly not lost it. But Son has struggled to convert chances, looks as if his confidence is gone.

The boost for Spurs is that Son has now got his eighth goal of the season ahead of a season-defining run of fixtures. In their next four, they host Chelsea. Then, Sheffield United in the FA Cup and of course, the second leg against AC Milan.

Owen was full of praise for Son. He knows that given his attitude and his approach, being benched on Sunday would have hit him like a “ton of bricks”. But now, Son is back among the goals and Owen was full of praise for the attacker.

Owen: Son being dropped would have hit him like a ton of bricks

“He is an absolute icon, a top player. To be at the very elite like Son, it takes – not selfish – but driven. You see the game in a different way. To be the way he is, takes a certain type of attitude,” Owen told the Premier League’s coverage.

“So when you get left out, it hits you like a ton of bricks. But he is got the most-exceptional attitude to the game. When he gets left out, he always makes a difference when coming on,” Owen added in his analysis of Tottenham’s Son.

Cristian Stellini continues to work wonders in the dugout. His third game he has controlled since Antonio Conte had arrived at Spurs. He oversaw the crucial 2-1 win over Marseille. More recently, he saw Spurs beat Manchester City.

Then, on Sunday, a clean sheet and a strong second-half display that completely nullified West Ham and saw Spurs secure an important three points. A win that takes them back into the top four, ahead of stuttering Newcastle United.