Son Heung-min has an extraordinary career, not only to famous for Korea, but also break all limits for Asian players.
From military service to national treasures
Spurs get 12 million – nearly a quarter of the Korean support, according to a study authorized by AIA, the Asian -based insurance company is the club's shirt sponsor.
“Son is the pride of the whole nation,” Sungmo Lee said. “He proved himself when he won the Golden Shoes in the Premier League, which is considered not for an Asian player.”
Son became news on every page by 2020 when he returned to his homeland to perform mandatory military service. This player spent 3 weeks with the Korean army, where he completed the excellent task, among the 5 people with the highest achievement.
“It is a big news and one of the reasons why Korean people love him so much,” Sungmo Lee added. “The training course includes shooting. He has received the award for being one of the best students out of 157 coaches.”
Does the departure of lipstick affect Tottenham's revenue? On the days of the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, up to 700 shirts of Son were sold – the most compared to any other player – due to the number of fans from Korea to see the idol increasing.
“They are rich and spend fans,” Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport. “They not only bought a shirt of Son, they also brought two bags full of clothes with the name of Son on their backs.”
Break the prejudice
But perhaps the most extraordinary effect of lipstick is his influence as the first Asian superstar in English football. His purely talent has helped challenge prejudices about Asian players, and although many of these prejudices still exist sadly, the power of Son will pave the way for more widely accepting that contracts from Asia are not only for hard work.
Spurs's stands in the past 10 years have also become more diverse, when Korean fans have often flew around the world to admire the popularity of Son. It is a popularity that is often misunderstood in England. Son has an extraordinary popularity, like David Beckham at the peak of Korea, ranked second in the 'Korea Power Celebrity 40' of Forbes for the past three years.
That popularity came from his extraordinary success compared to any Asian player before. Son is the Asian player to score all the time in both the Premier League and the Champions League. He was the first Asian player to reach 100 goals in the Premier League and was the first Asian player to win the golden shoes. He won the “Asia's Best Player” award in 8 of his 10 years at Spurs and, not surprisingly, many people considered the greatest Asian players of all time.
That is why Son is a symbol at home, but the nationality has nothing to do with Spurs fans who honor him as one of the greatest players of the Premier League ever. So is the Europa League. It was just the cream on the cake.
Change the image of Asian players
The highlight of Son Heung-min also signals a change in the role and image of Asian players in Europe. Previously, fans often considered Asian players as marketing tools, signed contracts to exploit lucrative domestic markets to sell shirts or attract sponsors, but they did not necessarily have to play.
Junichi Inamoto of Japan and China's Dong Fangzhuo are often taken as an example. Inamoto has never played a Premier League while at Arsenal and Dong Fangzhuo pointed to the pitch once for MU in 2004.
However, Son's stature was so big that he was used in England to market the Premier League for British fans, with his face appearing on billboards across the country.
On the pitch, Son has also changed the way Europeans see and talk about Asian players. “There are many prejudices about Asians in the West, very few of them are good,” said David Goldblatt, a scholar, author and sociologist about football, sharing.
The online news magazine The Diplomat also pointed out the prejudices that British commentators often rely on to describe the players: European players are discussed about their skills, strong skin players and Latin players are skillful. Asians are hard -working and humble people. Then the lipstick appears. “That's what Son has smashed, because he is in the world level,” Goldblatt said.
Alan Shearer, a leading goal in the Premier League history, described the lipstick as “completely extraordinary”. In the Match of the Day TV show of the United Kingdom, Shearer said: “Son is one of the best players in the season. His definitive ability is great.”
Legend of the legends
By breaking the records and prejudices, lipstick helped pave the way for other players to follow. According to the Soccerway statistics website, there are more than 300 players from Korea and Japan are playing professionally across Europe. Importantly, more and more players in top tournaments in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
For Hwang Hee-chan, Son is an inspiration. “I am proud of how he represents the country,” Hwang told Korean media. “Whenever I see him, it motivates me to play as well as him. And I want to continue to be better and challenge his record. I think a lot of football players see Heung-min's as their model.”
Many Asian players are moving to Europe at a younger age like Son at the age of 16. Korean and Japanese stars like Lee Kang-in and Takefusa Kubo have moved to big European clubs when they are 10 and 12 years old.
The fact that many Asian players become familiar and recognized by representatives, coaches, fans and teammates as important players will open the door to European football. Son is like a universal key, has investigated the knots, the most difficult prejudices and finds the solution.
Asian football has experienced a major transition. Once considered a developing football area, this continent currently produces world -class talents, competing at the highest level, in the most important tournaments, in the largest clubs in the world. From the stadiums of Japan and South Korea to developing tournaments in the Middle East, Asian football has developed both in quality and influence. And the core of this rise is the elite players who not only make a mark in the country but also impress on the international arena.
The names like Son Heung-min, Park Ji-Sung, Keisuke Honda, Ali Daei, Mehdi Mahdavikia and Younis Mahmoud are all outstanding thanks to the quality they have in Asian football. Leaded by two legendary players who helped redefine the way the world recognized Asian football: Son Heung-min and Hidetoshi Nakata. Both have a perfect 10 point in the evaluation from experts, a sign that their influence is huge, not only in Asia, but also on the global football stage.
Hidetoshi Nakata is the first ambassador of Asia to reach the top European football. His enchanting play in Serie A in the late 1990s and early 2000s brought attention and prestige to Asian talents. Although he won fewer awards, his cultural impact and symbols were still unique.
But only lipsticks completely dominate Asian football, and it is a big milestone. No one else has achieved this sustainable individual recognition in the modern Asian soccer era. His performance from 2015 to 2025 is a testament to the stability at the highest level, which is rare in international football. Whether leading Tottenham's attack in the Premier League or inspiring Korea in the international arena, lipstick combines class, physical and a psychology with humility that has brought him the admiration of everyone.
Not only is a full striker, Son has become a symbol of the rise of Asian football, a player not only scoring but also a master of the ball, leading the gameplay, the spiritual leader and the decision of the fate of the match.
Long before Nakata or Son achieved success in Europe, Kim Joo-sung was the pioneer of Asian football. With three awards “Best Asian players” consecutive from 1989 to 1991, Kim dominated an era when the continent was still looking for recognition in the world. His era may not be the focus of the attention of today's global media, but the influence of Kim Joo-sung has helped pave the way for the next Asian football wave.
But all of that is the background for Son Heung-min. He is the Asian football player honored and most appreciated in the modern era. His stability, leadership and impact ability at the highest level made him a clear measure for success.
- This is an excerpt from the article “Son Heung-min: Immortal Asian aura”. Please read the full article here!
