Opinion: Sonsational – Five things to take from the Heung Min Son documentary on Prime

Heung Min Son is without a doubt a player who will go down in Tottenham Hotspur history. The South Korean superstar is adored all over the world by the Spurs faithful, which is clear to see whenever the Lilywhites play.

The 28-year-old has developed into one of the world’s finest footballing talents and brings a unique spotlight onto the club due to his South Korea origins.

Son is one of the most technically gifted players to ever pull on a Lilywhite shirt and has already scored some historic goals over his time in North London.

With an incredible 101 goals and 56 assists already under his belt in 256 appearances for the club, there are hopefully many more to come (Transfermarkt).

It is only right that a player of his calibre gets a tremendous amount of attention and praise, and the ‘Sonsational’ documentary delivers just that.

Viewers have the chance to get a rare glimpse on what goes on behind the scenes in the life of one of Europe’s top players.

Let’s take a look at our five key takeaways from the 90-minute documentary on Amazon Prime Video. 

Humble Personal Life

One of the most striking insights into the life of Son is how much he contrasts to the stereotypical glamourous lifestyle of a world-famous athlete.

Of course, he has what everyone desires in the form of a nice living arrangement and top end cars but living with his father is a strong factor in keeping him so down to Earth.

His elegant apartment is very efficient with every decision designed to get the most out of Son as a player first and foremost, an idea which seems to be strongly held by his dad, leaving no unnecessary items around to distract him.

This football-first mentality is something that some Premier League stars lack, but certainly not in Son’s case as his whole personal life is geared up to ensure that he performs when he steps foot onto the pitch.

Giving back to the youth

The Son Football Academy, based back in his hometown of Chuncheon, is something that has never really been widely reported in the English media, so may come as news to many.

As arguably the best footballer to ever come from South Korea or even Asia, is a huge legacy to uphold and the setting up of his own footballing academy is definitely a great way to do this.

Giving back to the community in the country in which he was born and raised is phenomenal as he attempts to give the best chance for fellow South Koreans to follow in his glorious footsteps.

The academy also provides his brother, Heung Yun Son, with a chance to coach the next wave of potential professional footballers to come out of the nation.

Harsh Training

The stories of Son being made to complete a gruelling four hours of kick-ups have already done the rounds multiple times in the news and all-over social media (SportBible).

However, the documentary sheds new light on just how tough he was made to work in order to reach the standards that he holds himself too today.

Strict training regimes set out by his father were complete on a daily basis throughout the entire year, no matter whether if it was roasting hot or bitterly cold, all with the aim of teaching Son how to master the basics of football.

This is something which he has evidently built his game around and is a driving factor behind his on-field success.

A segment of the documentary also reveals how his father was embarrassed by the weight Son had gained whilst on international duty.

This caused him to return to Hamburg unrecognisable after a training programme, featuring three sessions a day, was held with his father to get him back into top condition.

Work away from Hotspur Way

The vision from the outside is that time away from the training ground/stadium is an opportunity for the players to sit back, rest, recover and get their bodies ready for the next game. This is far from the truth for Son.

Going hand in hand with the harsh training he went through in his youth, Son trains with his father when not at Hotspur Way. Thankfully for Jose Mourinho and the club’s physios, it does not seem to be as strenuous as the old days.

Despite the documentary only showing Son completing some light exercises, with the primary focus seemingly being around tight, sharp, two-footed ball control it represents an attitude that is second to none.

Son is already a world class footballer with nothing more to prove in terms of his ability, but this has not prevented him from wanting to drive his career onwards and upwards – a great trait to possess as a high-performance athlete.

Global Effect

Son also has a tremendous effect off the field as the amount of exposure that the club receives because of his performances in N17 is simply staggering.

The club now has fans travel from all over the globe to have the chance to see Son play and that is a sign of a truly special player.

Not only does his academy provide the opportunities for young players in South Korea but having him at the club means he has a chance to be a role model to youngsters within the Spurs ranks too.

Having the ability to bring supporters into the Spurs network from across the globe is a must-have when looking at the club from a business perspective.

On behalf of all Spurs fans, the club should be doing whatever it takes to keep him in N17 for as long as possible so he can continue to write himself into the history books, season after season.

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