South Korea’s Son Heung-min named Spurs captain after Harry Kane’s departure
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
South Korean Son Heung-min (centre) is said to be popular and respected within the Spurs dressing room.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON - Son Heung-min was named Tottenham’s new captain on Saturday, the day the club’s all-time top scorer Harry Kane joined Bayern Munich.
He is the first Asian footballer to be named the full-time skipper of an English Premier League club, said The Hindu and 90min.com, a website dedicated to football news.
The popular 30-year-old Korean became the first Asian to score 100 goals in the Premier League last season and clinched the EPL’s Golden Boot with 23 goals in the 2021-22 season.
He is also scorer of the first Premier League and Champions League goals at the club’s new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and winner of the 2019-20 Fifa Puskas Award for his wonder strike against Burnley in December 2019.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been Spurs skipper since 2015, but the Frenchman’s future at the club is in doubt.
Kane was expected to take over had he remained in north London rather than moving to Germany in pursuit of the first piece of silverware of his career.
New signing James Maddison and Argentine centre-back Cristian Romero have been named vice-captains.
“It’s such a big honour to captain this huge club,” said Son, who has scored 145 goals since joining the club in 2015.
“It was a big surprise and a very proud moment. I’ve already said to the players that everyone should feel like a captain, on and off the pitch.
“It’s a new season, a fresh start and I will give everything for this shirt and this armband.”
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou hailed Son’s leadership qualities, having had experience as captain of South Korea.
“Sonny has great leadership qualities, both on and off the pitch, and is the ideal choice to become our new captain,” said the Australian.
“Everyone knows he is a world-class player, and he has enormous respect from everyone in the dressing room.
“He transcends groups within the squad. That’s not just because he’s popular - it’s because of what he has achieved in the game, both here and as captain of South Korea.”
Spurs begin life without Kane when they travel to Brentford on Sunday for their opening game of the Premier League season. AFP
