Amid exit rumours, former Tottenham and Dortmund defender Lee Young-pyo urges Son Heung-min to chase happiness
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Former Borussia Dortmund defender Lee Young-pyo (left) believes that Spurs captain Son Heung-min (right) can still perform in the English Premier League.
PHOTOS: BORUSSIA DORTMUND, REUTERS
Follow topic:
- Lee Young-pyo advises Son Heung-min to prioritise happiness and playing time when deciding his future, considering his contract situation at Tottenham.
- New Spurs coach Thomas Frank is unsure about Son's captaincy and future, as the South Korean's form dipped with only seven goals last season.
- Lee believes Son has surpassed Park Ji-Sung's legacy and expects Dortmund to build on last term's momentum, under coach Niko Kovac.
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SINGAPORE – Former Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund left-back Lee Young-pyo believes his South Korean compatriot Son Heung-min should follow his heart when deciding on his future, adding that the Spurs captain must be certain of regular playing time if he chooses to remain with the English Premier League club.
The 33-year-old Son, who led them to Europa League glory last season – his first piece of silverware in 10 years at the club – has less than 12 months left on his contract, with no indication that a new deal is imminent.
With Spurs unlikely to let their club’s marquee player leave for free, the uncertainty has led to exit rumours
The 48-year-old Lee, who made over 90 appearances for Spurs from 2005 to 2008, told The Straits Times in an interview: “In my opinion, the most important thing is the player’s happiness.
“When it is the last chapter of a football career, a footballer needs to make sure that he is happy. And the most happiness is what you get from playing. If he wants to enjoy and be happy, then the most important thing is to know where he can get that playing time.
“I think the most important thing is what Son feels in his heart. He is at an age where he would be planning for retirement. I hope that wherever he decides to play, he can end his career well.”
New Spurs boss Thomas Frank – who replaced Ange Postecoglou in June – added to the uncertainty around Son’s future during his official presentation on July 18. The 51-year-old Dane said that he is yet to decide whether Son will remain as captain, while also refusing to confirm if the player would stay beyond the end of the summer transfer window.
Since joining Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, Son has delivered on countless occasions for Spurs but his form dipped in the past season, scoring just seven goals in 30 Premier League outings – his lowest single-term tally since his first season in England.
Lee believes that Son can still perform in the Premier League and talked up his impact in England and Europe. He added that his compatriot has surpassed the legacy of former Manchester United midfielder and South Korea captain Park Ji-sung, who is regarded by many as one of the greatest and most successful Asian players in history.
After signing for the Red Devils in 2005, Park won four Premier League titles and became the first Asian player to play in a Champions League final, where the Red Devils lost 2-0 to Barcelona in 2009. He left Old Trafford in 2012 before retiring from football two years later at age 33.
“Not many people ever thought that an Asian player can become the top scorer in the Premier League. He has helped to change the perception of Asian football and because of him, more players have had chances to play in Europe,” said Lee of Son’s Golden-Boot winning season in 2021-22, when he finished joint-top scorer alongside Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah with 23 goals.
“I believe he is one of the greatest inspirations and hopes for many Asian players. He has been a very good example. In our time, Park was the biggest, best Asian player and I believe now Son has that title.”
Besides Spurs, Lee also had a spell at Dortmund in the 2008-09 season.
His former side closed out the Bundesliga domestic season with an eight-match unbeaten run that included five straight wins – to secure the fourth and final Champions League place.
Lee expects them to pick up where they left off in the new campaign under Niko Kovac, who was appointed in January after the sacking of former coach Nuri Sahin.
Kovac has led the team to 15 victories in 25 matches and the Black and Yellow made a run to the quarter-finals of the recently concluded Club World Cup, where they were eliminated by Real Madrid.
“After the end of last season, I think they can continue to carry forward the momentum. Overall, last season was not perfect but I think we can do better in the new one,” said Lee.
While fans will need to wait till Aug 23 for Dortmund’s Bundesliga opening fixture against St Pauli, they can catch a host of former Dortmund players, including Lee, who will be in action during the July 25-27 Soccer7sSeries. The tournament will feature seven-a-side men’s open, women’s and over-35 masters categories at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
His team include club favourites Roman Weidenfeller, Patrick Owomoyela, Kevin Grosskreutz, Dede, Mladen Petric, Jan Koller, Omer Toprak and Park Joo-ho.
They are one of 10 teams in the masters categories.
In Group A are Leicester City Masters, Corinthians Masters, Persib Masters, Real Singapura FC and Cosmo Masters, while Dortmund are alongside the East London All Stars, Forest Reds (Nottingham Forest), Singapore FC Masters and Singa Legends in Group B. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
Lee is looking forward to the tournament and vowed to be competitive.
He said: “After retiring from playing, there are times when I miss playing football. I am excited to be back on the pitch with the players after a long time. I have not played football too many times since retiring, but the last few weeks I have been training so... I am ready to play.”
