South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol praised Son Heung-min for winning the Premier League Golden Boot, as Tottenham Hotspur confirmed on Tuesday that they would play a pre-season friendly against Sevilla in Suwon on July 16.
Son became the first Asian footballer to record 23 goals in the English Premier League on Sunday, a feat President Yoon described as a “joyous moment to be cherished by the entire Asian football community.”
“I feel this award is the consequence of your devotion after dedicating yourself and working tirelessly for your squad all season,” Yoon wrote on Facebook in a greeting to Son.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Son’s accomplishment was “a message of optimism” for South Koreans, according to Yoon, who added that he was looking forward to seeing Son lead South Korea at the World Cup in Qatar in November and December.
Tottenham’s season-ending match versus Norwich was broadcast live in South Korea on Sunday, starting at midnight and concluding at 2:00 a.m.
Fans felt Son’s 22nd and 23rd league goals of the season, which tied him with Liverpool’s Mo Salah for the league topscorer award, made staying up late worthwhile.
“I couldn’t sleep since I was too joyful and excited even when I was lying in bed,” one wrote online.
“From today, the Son Heung-min outfit will be our family treasure,” said another.
Tottenham has a big supporter base in South Korea, and the club will visit the country in July for two pre-season matches.
Tottenham will play the K-League All-Stars in Seoul on July 13 then Sevilla FC in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, three days later.
Son Heung-min in the 2021/2022 season
After scoring 23 goals this season, Son Heung-min became the Premier League’s first Asian player to win the Golden Boot.
On the last day, Tottenham’s captain Son scored twice in a 5-0 win over Norwich to tie Mo Salah, who scored once in Liverpool’s 3-1 win against Wolves. As a result, both Son and Salah were crowned champions and awarded golden boots. Surprisingly, none of Son’s 23 goals have come from penalty kicks, whereas Salah had five from spot-kicks.
Both goals were scored by Son’s right foot, which is thought to be his better foot. Son, on the other hand, has 12 left-footed goals and 11 right-footed goals this season.
South Korea is the 13th country to produce a Premier League Golden Boot winner, joining England, Holland, France, Argentina, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Bulgaria, Gabon, Portugal, Senegal, Uruguay, and Trinidad & Tobago. “It’s an honor to accept this accolade,” Son said after Tottenham’s win over Norwich.
The Premier League 2022 season is completed, and all-league employees are returning home to look for work as they wait for the EPL 2022-2023 season to begin on August 6, 2022, and end on May 28, 2023.
