“Let’s get over the idol Ronaldo and get rid of the bad luck” Son Heung-min tightens his shoelaces

Son Heung-min (29, Tottenham) faces his idol Cristiano Ronaldo (36, Manchester United) for the first time in the English Premier League (EPL).

Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United (Man United) will play the 2021-2022 EPL Round 10 match in London, England at 1:30 am (Korean time) on the 31st. Ronaldo, who played for Manchester United, played Real Madrid (Real Spain) and Juventus (Italy) before returning to the EPL for the first time in 12 years before this season. If two players compete together, a rematch will take place after two years and three months.

Son Heung-min has repeatedly revealed that Ronaldo is his idol. Earlier this year, he said, “If I have 5 minutes, I would like to meet Ronaldo and have a serious talk about football.” The two players are of similar physique and wear the same number 7 jersey.

Son Heung-min and Ronaldo have faced each other twice in the past, but this is the first time they have met in the EPL. In October 2017, Heung-Min Son and Ronaldo, who was a member of Real at the time, met at the stadium for the first time in the match between Tottenham and Real in the third match of Group H of the UEFA Group H of the 2017-2018 season in October 2017. However, Son Heung-min was replaced in the 44th minute of the second half, and the two players only played on the same ground for about 5 minutes. Son Heung-min played the ground together for 45 minutes in the first half before being substituted in the second half when he faced Ronaldo, who was a member of Juventus, again at the International Champions Cup (ICC) in July 2019. Son Heung-min failed to score an attacking point, but Ronaldo played until the 18th minute of the second half and scored one goal. Son Heung-min and Ronaldo exchanged uniforms after the match. Heung-Min Son has recorded 4 goals and 1 assist in 8 games in the Premier League this season. Ronaldo has 3 goals in 6 games. Tottenham Hotspur are in 6th place with 5 wins and 4 losses (15 points), and Manchester United are in 7th place with 4 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses (14 points). Tottenham Hotspur are on a repeat of winning streak and losing streak in recent years, and Manchester United are also engulfed in anger after losing their last match against Liverpool 0-5. Both teams are rumored to have replaced their managers. The role of the two players, the key strikers of the team, has become more important. Wolverhampton Hwang Hee-chan said in a Korean interview published by his team on the 29th, “I am happy and happy just playing on the stage of my dream of playing in the EPL, which I have wanted to play since I was young. I want to play against Ronaldo.” Regarding the nickname ‘bull’, he explained, “I don’t know where it came from in the first place, but it seems to come naturally because the play is aggressive and straight forward.” Hwang Hee-chan tied for fifth place in the EPL scoring division with Son Heung-min and others with four goals.

By Lee Won-hong, staff reporter bluesky@donga.com