Spurs player admits Preston FA Cup tie boosted his confidence

Son Heung-min has admitted that his brace against Preston North End was much-needed in order to boost his confidence in front of goal for the upcoming weeks.

Son has had a substantial drop off in his goal output since winning the Premier League Golden Boot last season, having found the back of the net just four times in the league so far in 2022/23 (Transfermarkt).

FA Cup
Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images

In the absence of Harry Kane, the South Korean was tasked with leading the line against Preston and he delivered a timely reminder of the threat he poses in front of goal with two excellent finishes with his left foot.

Son and Tottenham’s opening goal, in particular, was one of the finishes of the round as the 30-year-old found the top corner from around 25 yards out.

Speaking after the Lilywhites’ 3-0 win, Son told BBC One: “I needed those goals for my confidence. It was really important. It was the kind of position I like to shoot. In the first half, I had a couple of chances to shoot but the keeper made a good save.

“As a striker or as an attacking player, the important thing is that you get that goal. It’s important that I could help the team go to the next round. I’m very, very happy.”

Son admitted that the challenge at the Deepdale Stadium was much tougher than it seemed, and called on his teammates to take the momentum from the win into the Premier League campaign.

He added: “When you look at the scoresheet it looks like a comfortable win, but the FA Cup has never been comfortable. We suffered a lot away from home. The lads did an amazing job.

“There’s a lot to talk about our performance, but we were focused and did what we had to do. We can still improve so much. I think this game can give us good energy and let’s move on to next weekend [at home to Manchester City].”

Spurs Web Opinion

Son is very much a confidence player, which is why he often tends to have purple patches as well as barren patches over each season. So, those two goals would have given him plenty of belief and let us hope he can now go on a run, particularly with Manchester City, who are one of his favourite opponents, up next.

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