Few people know that Son Heung-Min had to grit his teeth and continue playing throughout the past season despite suffering from injuries. The Tottenham forward has recently undergone surgery to prepare for the upcoming season.
The persistent pain caused by his dislocated condition didn't break Son's spirit. However, it did have a clear impact on his performance as a Korean striker. Son ended the 2022/23 season with only 10 goals in 36 Premier League matches, far from the 23 goals that helped him clinch the joint Golden Boot title with Mohamed Salah in the 2021/22 season.
Immediately after the season ended, Son underwent surgery to address the dislocation issue. After the operation last month, the 30-year-old forward has recovered and is currently focused on the South Korean national team, which will play a friendly match against Peru tomorrow. However, Son understands that he needs more time to regain his top form.
"I had a lot of doubts about whether to publicly disclose this matter or not, but the truth is I had to struggle with persistent pain throughout the past season," the captain of the South Korean national team responded in an interview with TV Chosun.
"I played like that for 8 to 9 months. But in the end, I couldn't bear it anymore, so I decided to have surgery when the season ended. Playing with a dislocated condition is extremely difficult. Even simple movements like passing or turning start from your core muscle groups. That's where I felt pain, so I could only perform at 60% compared to normal motions," Son recalled the agonizing season.
Son was a subject of criticism during the past season. No one understood how the South Korean player struggled with pain to be able to take the field every week. With 3,788 minutes on the pitch, Son was the third-most-played player at Tottenham in the past season, behind Harry Kane (4,302 minutes) and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (3,894 minutes). The South Korean forward scored 10 goals in the 2022/23 Premier League season and 14 goals across all competitions. It was a disappointing number considering Son's caliber, but still impressive for a player who had to cope with pain and difficulties in performing turning movements.
Great determination is Son Heung-Min's top quality. He had to wear a face mask to play at the 2022 World Cup due to a fractured eye socket injury. Son also had to play with swollen feet due to an injury while representing the South Korean national team. At Tottenham, to rise as one of the top strikers in the Premier League, it came at a price for the Asian star. Son has endured seven quite serious injuries in the past three years.
But Son believes that he will regain his peak form and earn the trust of new head coach Ante Postecoglou. "I want to score more goals in the upcoming season. We have a new coach, and Tottenham needs to do better than last season," said the 30-year-old forward.
Postecoglou took over on June 6 with the challenging task of bringing Tottenham back into the top four race. It won't be an easy challenge, especially considering the possibility of key striker Harry Kane leaving the club. However, Tottenham still has a determined Son Heung-Min, whose caliber has been recognized. The season of agony due to injuries is now behind him. The South Korean star is eager to reclaim his role as the leading figure in the attacking line of the North London club.
