Heung-min Son has vowed to rewards the large numbers of South Koreans who will tune in to watch their hero play in the Champions League final by giving his all to help Tottenham Hotspur to glory.
While UK-based supporters will see the match kick off at 8pm, those in South Korea will have to get up at 4am to watch the biggest game in world club football on TV.
Son will follow in the footsteps of compatriot Park Ji-sung who played for Manchester United in the 2009 final where they suffered a 2-0 loss to Barcelona.
The 26-year-old has once again been instrumental in Tottenham’s progression to the final having scored important goals in the competition, notably in both legs of the quarter-final against Manchester City.
The forward embraces the responsibility of being an ambassador for his country and admits that he is relishing the prospect of facing Liverpool in Madrid this weekend.
He told the Guardian: “It’s a late kick-off in South Korea or rather an early time in the morning so I’m really grateful for every single bit of support and every single message I receive,” Son says. “It’s not that easy [to get up]. I did it a few times when I was a child. You go to sleep early and you wake up at four o’clock or whatever. Some people have to go to work. So I’m really grateful to the people who get up. I respect them. That’s why I always give 100%.”
“Yes, of course,” he added when asked about his responsibility of being a flagbearer for his country. “I have to be. The time difference is big and people still watch the games. I have to pay back. I take a lot of responsibility. This is what I am enjoying.”
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