Tottenham's Son flying the Asian flag high in the EPL

WHEN Tottenham Hotspur moved into their new stadium in April 2019, the player who scored the very first goal at that gleaming 62,850-seater venue was none other than Son Heung-Min, one of the most recognisable international superstars in the English Premier League (EPL).

The speedy 29-year-old South Korean winger, who netted the opening goal in a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace, said that was his most memorable match in the 6 years he's spent at the North London club.

"We had waited so long for the stadium to be open, and to win the first match and be able to score the first goal, that is my favourite memory," he said on Thursday (Oct 21) at a virtual fan engagement event organised by AIA.

The life insurer has been Tottenham's Global Principal Partner since 2013. The AIA Live in Singapore - Game on with Spurs event was part of AIA's broader effort to help people to live healthier, longer and better lives.

Son, who has made 204 appearances for Spurs and is the top Asian goalscorer in both the EPL and the UEFA Champions League, was joined by three other Tottenham players - Welsh defenders Ben Davies and Joe Rodon, and English midfielder Oliver Skipp.

During the 40-minute session, they interacted with players from newly-crowned Singapore Premier League champions Lion City Sailors, as well as some lucky fans who were allowed to be present in the studio where the event was filmed.

This is an edited excerpt of the conversation with Son, where he talked about the importance of how he deals with pressure, what it's like playing under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo, and what he does to unwind away from the game.

What has the pandemic taught you about mental health?

We can see that the pandemic has damaged the mental health of many people. Obviously, it's a really hard time, especially for those who have lost their jobs. For us as footballers, we were so used to playing in front of the fans, and then suddenly we had to play in empty stadiums for many months. But we stayed positive throughout, and now the fans are back. It's important to keep up this positive energy and to be around positive people.

In life, there's no getting away from pressure and adversity. As a professional footballer, what's your way of dealing with pressure and setbacks?

For me, the pressure means something - that we have all these big games and the fact that we feel the pressure, it's something to be proud of. There is this chance to show everyone what you have in you. I know that when I end my career, I will never get to experience this type of pressure ever again, so I try to enjoy it right now as much as I can.

In the EPL, Spurs will next play away to West Ham on Sunday (Oct 24, 9pm kick-off, Singapore time). How do you prepare for a London derby like this?

We don't want to disappoint the club, ourselves and the fans. We need to prepare well. We need to be mentally so strong to get us 3 points away from home.

You said recently that Spurs play without fear, and you guys even enjoy playing without the ball. What's behind this change, and how would you describe how Santo wants you to play as a team?

I think we showed the best example of this last weekend (in the win over Newcastle). We were 1-0 down after 2 minutes, and we showed great character to come back and win the game (by a final score of 3-2). Even when we are 1-0 down, we can see that we are enjoying playing football, and we are able to get back to winning ways.

What's it like playing under coach Santo, and what's his philosophy?

We worked really hard in the pre-season. And for the manager, the most important thing for him is that togetherness, and that's what he wants to improve. So we work together, we win together, and we lose together. Even we are attacking together from the goalkeeper, and we are defending together from the striker. That is how he wants it to be, and I feel that is really important as a team.

You went from Asia to Europe to train and play in Germany and then England. The languages and cultures are totally different. What were the challenges you had to overcome?

I can't even tell you how tough that was. It was so hard - I was 16 when I left my country and went to Germany. I couldn't speak either English or German. But even if I was able to turn back the clock, I would still have done the same thing.

But if I can give one piece of advice to others, it would be to learn English from a young age. I started only when I was 23, so I think my English isn't that great. But when you learn it younger, you can pick it up faster.

Besides football, what else do you enjoy doing?

I'm a real home boy, so as soon as I finish a training session, I just feel excited to go back home, chill out, watch something on TV or listen to music. Those are my favourite activities.