[Interfootball] Reporter Kim Dae-shik: Son Heung-min Takes on the Captaincy for Tottenham
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Tottenham faced the possibility of losing their entire captaincy. Hugo Lloris, the team’s long-time captain, expressed his intentions to leave the club, stating, “We are at an important moment for me, the club, and us. It’s the end of an era, and I have aspirations for other things.” While Lloris’ transfer has not been confirmed, he has not joined the team for pre-season preparations and is actively seeking a new club, with Lazio being one of the potential destinations.
To prepare for Lloris’ departure, Tottenham signed Guglielmo Vicario as their main goalkeeper for the upcoming season. Another player whose future at the club remains uncertain is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Hojbjerg, who has shown great leadership both on and off the pitch since joining Tottenham, has been linked with a transfer after the summer. According to reports, Atletico Madrid has shown interest in him, and while there have been no formal contacts, Tottenham would be open to approving a transfer if a suitable offer comes in. Personal negotiations between Hojbjerg and Atletico have already taken place, further increasing the likelihood of a transfer.
With Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich, he was no longer in contention for the captaincy either. After confirming his transfer, Kane bid farewell to Tottenham, expressing his gratitude to the fans and wishing the team success in the future. Eric Dier, the last remaining member of the previous captaincy, was also considered for a potential sale, as he has just one year left on his contract and Tottenham has not offered a contract renewal.
With the departure of Lloris, Kane, Hojbjerg, and Dier, Tottenham had to enter a new era and consider a change in the captaincy. Coach Ange Postecoglu had praised Son Heung-min for his leadership during preseason, highlighting his impact and respect within the team. As a result, Son Heung-min was chosen as the new club captain, with James Maddison and Cristian Romero appointed as vice-captains. Son expressed the significance of the upcoming season and emphasized the need for collective responsibility and unity within the squad.
Postecoglu emphasized that leadership goes beyond just the captain, and he recognized the importance of experienced players and young talents contributing to the team’s success. Maddison and Romero, who had recently joined Tottenham, were appointed as lieutenants to support Son Heung-min.
Tottenham, with the departure of Kane, entered a new phase under Son Heung-min’s leadership. As the new captain, Son acknowledged the responsibility that comes with the role and urged every player to take ownership and think of themselves as captains, both on and off the field. He pledged his dedication to the club and aimed to bring success to Tottenham.
For Son Heung-min, being the captain represents an important time in his career, as he is now tasked with leading the team without the presence of Kane. The challenge lies not only in bringing results to the team but also in fulfilling his own ambitions for success. As the only active player in the Premier League among those who have scored over 100 goals and won a major trophy, Son is determined to achieve greatness at Tottenham.
While Kane pursued a move to Munich in search of trophies, Tottenham has not won a major championship in the last 15 years. Son shares the same hunger for success and is regarded as the best player in Asia, with numerous individual awards to his name.
Munich, despite their slip-up in the DFB Super Cup, remains a formidable team with a history of winning major trophies. It is only a matter of time before Kane adds to his trophy collection. However, Tottenham faces the challenge of ending their trophy drought, and Son Heung-min is eager to lead the club to success.
[인터풋볼] Reporter Kim Dae-shik = Son of Heung-min having to bring the championship trophy for himself.
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Tottenham were in a position where the entire captaincy could leave the team. Hugo Lloris, the team’s long-time captain, was very likely to leave. “We are coming at an important moment for us, for the club and for me,” said Lloris after the season. It’s the end of an era. I have aspirations for other things as well,” he said, considering transferring.
Lloris’ choice was a transfer. Lloris has not yet confirmed him for a transfer, but he has not accompanied him on a pre-season trip. They are looking for a new team. Recently, he has been linked to Lazio, a prestigious Italian city. In preparation for Lloris’ departure, Tottenham have recruited Guglielmo Vicario to find a replacement. Vicario has been chosen as Tottenham’s main goalkeeper since the current season.
After Lloris, the player whose future is unclear is Pierre-Emile Hoivier. Hoivier, who has been active at Tottenham since the 2020-21 season, has been linked with the captaincy, showing great leadership on and off the pitch. Hojbjerg is said to be seeking a transfer after the summer.
At the end of June, England’s ‘The Athletic’ said, “Tottenham and Hoivier are open to transfers this summer following interest from Atletico Madrid. There are no contacts from Atletico or other clubs at the moment, but Tottenham will be happy to approve a transfer if a suitable offer comes along.”
It is known that Hojbjerg has finished personal negotiations with Atlético. If Atletico did end up negotiating a transfer fee with Tottenham, the possibility of a transfer was very high. Even in the preseason, Hoivier often started off the bench rather than starting.
Harry Kane, who was most likely to be the next captain after Lloris, eventually moved to Bayern Munich. After confirming Kane’s intention to transfer, Munich continued to negotiate with Tottenham. Undeterred by Tottenham’s stubborn will, Munich finally managed to sign Kane for the highest transfer fee in the German Bundesliga.
After the transfer was completed, Kane told Tottenham fans, “I’m letting you know I’m leaving the club. Obviously there’s a lot of emotions going on at the moment. Sad to leave Tottenham. Good luck to all Tottenham players.”
Kane said, “I’m watching from a supporter’s point of view and I really hope you succeed. This is a message to all the fans around the world, to all the Tottenham fans who have supported me and who have been with me throughout my career. I will love my family forever. We will never forget every moment we had together,” he said farewell to Tottenham.
The last member of the captaincy, Eric Dyer, was considered for release. The player himself did not want to transfer and the sale process did not continue, but Dyer now has just one year left on his contract. However, Tottenham have yet to hand over a contract renewal offer. After a year, the diamond is released.
Tottenham had to prepare for a new era as the four captains became unclear and Kane moved to Munich. Coach Enze Postecoglu was considering changing the captaincy. At this time, the player who started to be mentioned was Son Heung-min. Coach Postecoglu had praised Son Heung-min for his leadership since the preseason.
He said, “Son Heung-min shows true leadership. Connect the whole squad and get along with all the groups. Not just because it’s popular. It’s good to see the impact Son Heung-min is having. He highly praised Son Heung-min’s influence within the team, saying, “He has tremendous influence and great respect among the players.”
As Kane’s transfer was confirmed, a captain replacement became inevitable, and Son Heung-min was chosen by Postecoglu. Tottenham said on the club’s website on the 13th (Korea time), “Son Heung-min has been appointed club captain. He took over from Lloris, who has been captain since the 2014-15 season. James Madison and Christian Romero have been appointed vice-captains.” published.
Son Heung-min said, “It’s a very important season. The idea as a captain is that we all have to take responsibility, do good, and do training well. Everyone knows that systematic preparation is important. I want to unite as one and move towards the same goal,” he said briefly in front of his colleagues.
Coach Postecoglu, who followed Son Heung-min’s words, said, “Leadership does not end with a captain. It comes from experienced players. You know which direction you need to go in order to succeed. Leadership can come from young players as well as captains. Leadership is about doing it together,” announced two new lieutenants to help Son Heung-min.
Madison and Romero had just joined from Tottenham. Therefore, the captaincy of Lloris, Kane, Hoibier and Dyer was abolished. Tottenham, who entered a new era with the departure of the best player in the club’s history, Kane, announced a new start under Son Heung-min’s system.
In his first interview with the club after being appointed captain, Son Heung-min said, “It doesn’t matter who the captain is. Of course, only one person wears the armband, but I believe every player should take responsibility. He told the squad to think of themselves as captains. Whether that’s on the field or off it, that’s important. Wearing the Tottenham uniform and wearing the captain’s armband, I will give my all,” he said of his dedication as captain.
As captain, a very important time has come for Son Heung-min, who is on a new starting line without Kane. The responsibility and burden comes from having to bring results to the team in difficult situations at the same time.
Although Son Heung-min always cares about the team rather than himself, success at Tottenham has become very important even to himself. This is because Son Heung-min, who was born in 1992 and is now in his 30s, has spent more time as a player than the remaining time. It is also an issue related to the ‘club novice’, a tag that follows Son Heung-min as much as Kane.
The British ‘BBC’ analyzed the reason for Kane’s transfer to Munich after Kane’s transfer was confirmed. Naturally, one of the reasons for the transfer was to win. The media said, “The attraction that Kane feels in Munich is clear. Munich is a club that has won major trophies at an astonishing rate. In the last 11 seasons, he has won 18 trophies. But Kane has yet to win a major trophy in his entire career.”
The next mentioned entry was also bittersweet for Son Heung-min. ‘BBC’ said, “Of the 34 players who have scored more than 100 goals in the Premier League (EPL), Kane is one of three who have ever won a major trophy. One of the other two is Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min. The last is Matt Le Tissier, who played for Southampton in the past.”
Matt Le Tissier is a retired player, and Kane has left for Munich, so Son Heung-min is the only active player playing in the EPL. Kane, who moved to Munich for the championship, took advantage of the opportunity to escape the military life from the first day of the transfer. However, Munich lost 0-3 in the DFB Super Cup against RB Leipzig and failed to win the championship.
Although they slipped in the Super Cup, Munich is a team that can challenge Germany and reach the top of Europe. German Bundesliga champion for 11 consecutive seasons and the strongest in Germany. Season 2023-24 Even if Munich ends the season without a tie, the chances of Kane not winning a trophy until June 30, 2027, when he signed a contract with Munich, are close to zero. It’s only a matter of time before Kane gets the trophy.
Tottenham, on the other hand, are not. Since winning the Football League Cup in the 2007-08 season, he has been irrelevant for 15 consecutive seasons. This is the only team among the Big 6 of the EPL that has not won a championship in the last 15 years. It’s a painful record that forced even the ever-loyal Kane to leave Tottenham.
Son Heung-min is just as thirsty for a championship as Kane. Son Heung-min is also the best player in Asia in terms of his personal career. The history of personal awards is replete, such as EPL top scorer in the 2021-22 season, EPL Team of the Year selected by the English Professional Footballers’ Association in the 2020-21 season, 11th in the Ballon d’Or, and EPL Player of the Month 3 times. There is no guarantee that a player like Son Heung-min will come out of Asia again. It would be surprising if a player close to Son Heung-min came out for 10 years at this point.
In comparison, the team’s career is disappointing. I haven’t heard a big trophy yet in Hamburg, Leverkusen and Tottenham. It was the same with the Korean national soccer team. All he did was win the gold medal after being selected as a wild card for the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games 2018. Son Heung-min is already highly regarded, but it is true that he now needs a big trophy to receive better evaluation in future generations.
As the captain of the Korean national team, there really aren’t many opportunities to aim for. It is about the upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. Unfortunately, the Asian Cup has little relation to Korea. Since 1960, the championship has not been achieved in 63 years. He only finished second 4 times.
With Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, Hwang Hee-chan, and Cho Kyu-seong continuing to play well, the expectations for winning the Asian Cup are very high. However, concern is growing as the national team has failed to win four games in a row under coach Jurgen Klinsmann. It’s an atmosphere where doubts about Klinsman’s ability, noted since the beginning of his seniority, are becoming a reality.
It is true that it is not easy at Tottenham. Tottenham’s predicted league positions by the local media ahead of the 2023-24 season are in 5th to 8th place. Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United are considered candidates for the top four.
Even Kane has left, and he has concerns about the coaching system of Postecoglu, who has no EPL coaching experience. There are many evaluations that Tottenham will finish in a similar position to last season. Looking at the atmosphere and the power, it seems very difficult for Tottenham to win the league.
As they failed to progress to European competition last season, the only chances in the 2023-24 season are the FA Cup and the Football League Cup. Even that is only possible if you go beyond clubs like Man City, Arsenal, and Man United. It is true that Tottenham are behind high-ranking clubs even when comparing objective power and recent performances. Newcastle with oil money and Aston Villa and Brighton, who are getting stronger, are not easy opponents either.
Overcoming these difficulties, if Tottenham can achieve the championship under Son Heung-min’s captaincy system, he will remain more than just a team hero.
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