South Korea national soccer team pillar Son Heung-min (31-Tottenham Hotspur) has spoken about the responsibilities of captaincy.
Son is leading the Klinsmanns as they begin the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup North and Central America. This is his fourth World Cup journey, having started at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.레모나토토 도메인
“I’ve never thought about going all the way,” Son said, “I just want to do the best I can from where I am,” he said, adding that he is determined to give his best in the games ahead. “The road to the World Cup is a long one,” he said, adding that he was prepared for a tough challenge: “You can’t just take the good road, there will be thorns along the way.” “I think we can be better than we have been in the past,” he said, promising a better tomorrow.
Son made his A-League debut against Syria in December 2010 when he was 18 years old. Thirteen years later, the youngest member of the squad is now the captain of the national team. Heung-min, who was officially awarded the captain’s armband in September 2018 under former coach Paulo Bento, has been in charge for about five years and two months. He is the longest-serving captain in Korean soccer history.
Since this season, he has also worn the captain’s armband at Tottenham and has been recognized for his leadership in both the national team and the club. “It’s an honor to be captain of both the national team and the club, but I feel a lot of responsibility,” said Son, humbled by the fact that he has players with good character and skills around him. “I think the players are the ones who talk about leadership, so I’m grateful to my teammates,” he added.
Son Heung-min recalled the captains he has watched in his more than 10 years with the national team. “I came to the national team from a young age and learned a lot from the seniors,” he said, explaining that “especially (Park) Jisung, (Ki) Sung-yong, (Koo) Ja-cheol, and (Lee) Cheong-yong, they are all different characters.”
“The same thing they all told me was that being captain is a weighty position, and what I do is the image of the national team,” he said, adding, “If I do well, the national team looks like a good team.” He felt an extraordinary sense of responsibility.
“When I was younger, I thought that if I played well, everyone else would play well,” he said, “but now I think about ‘how can I take care of the players I play with, the players who come in as substitutes, and the players who can’t play,'” revealing the challenges of being captain of a team.
“The most important role I have in this team is to let the players play what they want to play on the field and what they are good at,” he said. “I have to do my best as the captain, but I talk about it a lot because these players have to lead Korean soccer in the future.”
“I don’t think I’m a good leader,” Son said, “I always try to maintain a good relationship with the players, and I think that’s reflected in the many conversations we have.” “I’m lucky to be the captain of the national team for a long time,” he said, “and I’m training with good players.” He thanked his teammates once again.