Tottenham Hotspur and South Korea star Son Heung-min recalls injury “nightmare” that threatened World Cup dream
Son Heung-min’s dreams of representing South Korea at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar were left hanging in the balance after he was taken off the field injured against Olympique de Marseille in a 2-1 win for us on matchday six.
A brutal arm to the face from Chancel Mbemba forced Son to exit the pitch. Fans were worried that it would be a concussion, but scans showed it was an eye socket fracture – by no means any less serious.
There was still worry that Son may not be in shape to represent South Korea for a few games at the competition. But with time, it seemed more and more likely that he would make the plane to Qatar.
Now, he has recalled those injury nightmares that threatened to end his World Cup dreams. He recently told beIN Sports (h/t Football.London):
“It was a nightmare to be honest. I was doing everything to be here because it is a big honour for me to play for this amazing country and I did everything. After I got the injury I called up some of my physios and said, ‘Look, I don’t care what is the option, I want to play the World Cup’.”
He then thanked Tottenham for helping him in every manner to boost his chances of representing his nation. The former Bayer Leverkusen winger added:
“Then the surgery went really well and I’m grateful that Spurs did everything for me to be here. So I’m really, really grateful to everyone around me and also teammates, so was a great feeling to be here again and playing one of the greatest tournaments in the world.”
He was in the starting XI for manager Paulo Bento’s team that faced Uruguay on 24 November. Son was rather quiet down the left flank but he put in a very strong shift on both ends of the pitch.
It was good to see our star forward getting to realise his dreams. Hopefully, he can continue it and get himself a goal or two when his team take on Portugal and Ghana in their remaining fixtures.
More Tottenham Hotspur News
- Morocco star and Tottenham Hotspur summer target Hakim Ziyech does not rule out Chelsea exit in January
- Tottenham Hotspur backed to sign Inter Milan and the Netherlands right-back Denzel Dumfries
- Tottenham join Arsenal and Chelsea in the race to sign Villarreal starlet Yeremy Pino
Their group is by no means an easy one for them. An early exit, while heartbreaking for Son, would at least ensure that he returns for Spurs early and regains fitness to be fit and ready to start when club football resumes in late December.
