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Son eyes scoring most careers goals among Korean footballers in Europe

Son eyes scoring most careers goals among Korean footballers in Europe

Posted August. 08, 2019 09:10,   

Updated August. 08, 2019 09:10

한국어

Son Heung-min, who has become a key player of Tottenham Hotspur, will make a challenge at becoming the all-time highest scorer among South Korean soccer players that ever played in European professional leagues, as England's 2019-2020 Premier League will open on Saturday.

Son has scored a total of 116 goals during his career in Europe. If he nets six more, the-27-year-old will exceed the previous record of 121 goals set by Cha Bum-kun, a former Bundesliga player and former manager of the South Korean national team. Considering that Son scored an average of 19 goals during the past three seasons, it seems very likely that he will break the record. What matters is how quickly he will reach the new milestone.

This season, Son is expected to focus on flank attacks while backing up striker Harry Kane or take the forward position alternately with Kane. Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino alternated Son and Kane during the 2019 International Champions Cup held ahead of the upcoming opening of the Premier League. The South Korean also played as forward when Kane was injured last season.

Son stood at the forefront of Tottenham's extraordinary advance to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League last season, defeating Manchester City, further elevating his status within his team. Therefore, it is expected that he will be given bigger roles and more opportunities to outperform last season.


Won-Hong Lee bluesky@donga.com