Son Heung-min has apologised for his forthcoming Tottenham absence as he attempts to win the Asian Cup with South Korea – and avoid national service in the process.
The 26-year-old will be available for Spurs’ first game of the season at Newcastle but will then jet off to Indonesia to play for his country.
South Korean law dictates that all males must be called up for military service before the age of 28. However, exemptions are made for high-profile sports stars who achieve success for the nation.
A gold medal at the tournament is likely to ensure that Son, who signed a contract until 2023 earlier this summer, would not need to serve.
It is a tricky situation for which the diplomatic player, who faces missing three top-flight matches, is apologetic.
‘I feel sorry because Tottenham is my team and I feel very sorry to be leaving my team-mates,’ he said. ‘I am playing for my country and that is also important, but honestly I feel very sorry about that. That is what I feel.’
Son, who joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, has often been reluctant to speak about the looming issue of National Service, and, speaking from the club’s US tour, that trend continued.
‘We can talk about this afterwards,’ he said. ‘We haven’t won it already. We are going there to win something and winning trophies for my country is always good. I don’t travel there for nothing.’
Son, who played in 43 of Tottenham’s 45 games last term, has scored 47 goals for the club, making him the highest-scoring Asian player in Premier League history.
He returned for pre-season camp after a disappointing World Cup with South Korea, which saw them bow out at the group stage before a stunning victory dumped Germany out of the tournament and gave a glimpse of what might have been.
‘It was disappointing but we finished well against Germany,’ he said. ‘Our country was happy because they were No 1 in the FIFA rankings and the defending World Cup champions.
‘For me the tournament was disappointing because I always expect more than the group stage. I wanted to stay longer than we did. But it was a good experience to play at the World Cup and I look forward to playing in another in four years.’
Son is looking forward to reuniting with Harry Kane – and believes the England man can continue to excel.
‘Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world,’ he said. ‘That is why he has won the Golden Boot twice in the Premier League and once at his first World Cup. He deserved it as well because he worked really hard. He will come back with a lot of confidence and I think he can win another Golden Boot.’
“I’m extremely grateful to the club,” Son continued. “Tottenham are the club that gave me the opportunity to take my first step into the Premier League.
“I’m thankful to them for creating a great environment for me. They made a good offer to me, so I was able to sign the extension.
“The club expressed that they really respect me, so I signed the contract extension without having to put too much thought into it.
“Fans have congratulated me for signing the contract extension, but it’s actually me who should thank the club, our manager and my teammates.”
Son joined Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and has become a vital part of the club’s success, scoring 26 league goals over the past two seasons.