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Son Heung-Min: Tottenham's South Korean star

Son Heung-min.Image source, PA
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Son Heung-Min joined Spurs in 2015

Tottenham forward Son Heung-Min has played for his team since 2015 - and there are quite a few reasons to love him.

Before a match with Sheffield United, he used his hands to protect a mascot from the rain.

When Son put them over the boys' head, the mascot looked up at him and smiled - cute!

Son then went on to score the opening goal for his team, but it was a draw in the end.

Here's seven other reasons why Tottenham's number seven is the man of the moment...

He's putting Asian football on the map

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Fans from all over the world come to support Son Heung-min

There have been successful Asian footballers in European football before but no one has ever been at the same level as Son.

Park Ji-sung was very popular at Manchester United but he never got close to winning the player of the year award - Son was named Spurs' player of the year for 2018/19.

Son Heung-min has consistently scored when it matters for Spurs. He scored 18 goals the season before last and 21 goals the season before that!

In 2018, he was voted by Forbes as the 13th most important person in South Korea.

He's also got his own nightly show in South Korea called "Super Son Time."

Image source, @sport_simon

He's a team player

Image source, Reuters
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Son Heung-min is loved by his teammates and fans

Son isn't a flashy footballer. He never makes anything about him.

After winning gold in the Asian Games, he said: "Of course I am in a better position now because I have won the Asian Games, but if not then there was the Korean army team for me."

In his post match interview after helping Tottenham beat Dortmund 3-0, Son refused to take the credit for the victory and instead praised defender, Jan Vertonghen, saying that the Belgium defender was so good that he could play in any position on the pitch: "for me he could be a striker".

Spurs don't lose when Son scores. Manager, Mauricio Pochettino joked after the game against Dortmund: "Next time Son scores I will head to the dressing room."

He's a goal machine

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Son Heung-min is scoring goals for fun at the moment

Most of the time Son doesn't even play as a striker. Normally, he's a left winger, behind Harry Kane. And he missed lots of last season playing for South Korea.

When Harry Kane was out injured earlier this year, Son stepped in to help Spurs keep going.

He managed to avoid military service

Image source, Tottenham Hotspur FC
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Son Heung-min holding his Asian Games gold medal

All citizens of South Korea have to do two years in the army when they are young, even if you're famous. There's only a few ways to get out of it.

One of the ways to avoid this is by winning a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

That was the task facing Son - either win the 2018 Asian Games or face leaving Spurs for a few years to complete his time in the army.

Did he pull it off? Of course he did. South Korea beat Japan 2-1 in the final!

The fans love his smile

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The sun always comes out when Son is about

He's well known for his smile, so much so that football commentator Thierry Henry even asked him in an interview "Why are you always smiling?"

Son plays every game with a massive smile on his face, even when things are going against him.

He's loved by his teammates and the Spurs fans absolutely love him - they have loads of chants about him!

He's a record breaker

Image source, Tottenham Hotspur FC
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Tottenham Hotspur signed Son Heung-min for 拢22 million - a record for an Asian player

Son is the most expensive Asian footballer of all time. He signed for Tottenham Hotspur from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of 拢22 million in 2015.

He's also the highest scoring Asian footballer in the Premier League with 63 goals in four seasons with the club.

Football is in his blood

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Son Heung-min's dad, Son Woong-jung, is a former professional footballer

Son's dad, Son Woong-jung, was also a professional footballer who runs a soccer school back in South Korea.

He encouraged Son to practice his football skills for six hours every single day.

When Son was scouted by German side, Hamburg, his father moved to Germany with him and stayed in a hotel opposite the training ground so he could offer help and support.