Tottenham ace Son Heung-min left out of South Korea Olympics squad

According to the Daily Mail, key Tottenham Hotspur superstar Son Heung-min has been omitted from the South Korea squad for the Tokyo Olympics that start next month.

The Olympics were postponed last year due to the pandemic, kick off in Japan in a little over a week. And, Son, who is one of the best players, if not the best, at the disposal of the South Korean national team was under consideration to make the trip as one of the three overage players allowed for the football squad.

However, the 28-year-old has not been picked by manager Kim Hak-bum. This ought to come as a boost for Tottenham as the Olympics final takes place on August 7th, just a week before the club’s opening Premier League fixture against reigning champions Manchester City.

If Son had participated, the 28-year-old would not have been available for the season-opening fixture, a scenario that has now been avoided by the non-selection.

Son previously led the South Korean national team to the Gold Medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, which led to him being excused an 18-month service with the South Korean military – something that is mandatory for all able-bodied men in the nation, with exemptions made for Gold Medal winners at Olympics and Asian Games.

The manager, Kim Hak-bum, insisted that he was not looking at that factor when he made the team selection saying:

“I did not take into consideration the issue of military service. I only focused on finding those who were most competitive. We will aim for the best.”

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Son, along with Harry Kane, was Tottenham’s best player in the 2020/21 campaign. Having him fit and firing for the start of the season is crucial. And him not travelling to Japan for the Olympics will certainly help Spurs in that regard.