I didn’t want to say I couldn’t play due to injury, says Son Heung-min

“I did not want to say I couldn’t play due to my arm injury.” This is what Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur FC said as he recalled the match against Aston Villa FC on Feb. 16. He played through the entire game despite his right arm injury. The 28-year-old, who had a fractured radius bone of his right arm at the time, is in rehabilitation back in London after receiving surgery in South Korea. In an interview posted on the team’s website on Wednesday, Son talked about emotion he felt when he suffered the injury.

The South Korean footballer got an injury as he used his right arm to support his body while collapsing after he collided with a pullback of the rival team at 31st second in the first half of the match. “I felt pain during the match,” Son said. “But since it was an important match, I wanted to stay in the ground to help my team.” Since Hotspur striker Harry Kane was temporarily excluded from its roster due to a hamstring injury at the time, Son effectively had to lead his team’s offense as the lone striker.

Son played throughout the match by banking on a strong sense of responsibility, demonstrated his invincible spirit of challenge, and managed to score two goals to lead his team’s 3-2 victory. However, since he already suffered an injury in his right arm radius bone three years ago, he was shocked to hear the fresh injury at the hospital. “After undergoing X-ray examination at the hospital, I saw an X-ray image (of the broken bone),” he said. “It was so sad to see it and I could hardly believe that.”

With the English Premier League in temporary suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, Son is trying his best to make comeback within this season. “Four weeks have passed since the surgery. I am actively taking rehabilitation therapy to return to the ground as soon as possible,” he said.

“I hope to return to the ground at the earliest date possible,” he said. “I badly miss the feeling that I could have on the playground. But the most important thing right now is protect everyone’s health rather than playing soccer.”


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com