Tottenham: Son Heung-min looks to restore his reputation after suffering in silence with a hernia injury… and the Spurs star is out to prove ‘the Sonny we all know is still there’

Son Heung-min delivers the most trite of all the clichés. ‘We’re looking forward game by game,’ he sets off and instantly pulls up. ‘Basic answer isn’t it?’ he says, pauses and realises last season deserves an explanation.

‘It was a mess,’ Son says. ‘As players, young and old, we should all take a big responsibility. Everyone has been around long enough. When you’re wearing this shirt you should know you’re playing for Tottenham, playing in the Premier League and to give 99 per cent is not enough.

‘If we think like this and stick together like a family we can go back up the mountain. No mess. This is very, very important for us as a club.’

For Son, too, there is reputation to restore as he settles in with Ange Postecoglou, his fifth permanent Spurs boss, and searches for the lethal form that won him the Golden Boot in 2021-22.

Finally, he is free of pain after the agony of last season when he suffered in silence despite needing surgery on a hernia, which he underwent last month.

Tottenham star Son Heung-min is keen to show his struggles last season was a one-off and insists he’s ready to ‘rock and roll’ after undergoing surgery on a hernia which troubled him

Son was set to make his first appearance since surgery against Leicester before it was called off, but he has been enjoying Spurs’ pre-season tour (pictured talking to young fans)

After winning the Golden Boot during the 2021-22 season, he netted just ten goals last term and Spurs’ last game of a miserable season against Leeds was closest he came to giving in 

‘Really tough,’ says Son, 31. ‘The whole season in pain. In normal life, it felt fine but on the pitch, I was in pain for every single moment, literally. Every action, turning, passing, kicking, everything.

‘Probably people are thinking why didn’t I do the surgery as early as possible, but for me it felt like every single moment was a difficult moment for the club during the season. I didn’t want to let the people down, players, staff, fans.

‘I take the responsibility whether I played good or bad, with pain or not. One thing was clear, I didn’t want to let people down by going away in a tough moment because of the pain.’

Nor did he want to make the injury public, despite criticism when the goals dried up. He scored 10 in the Premier League compared with 23 the year before, and his lowest return since his first season at the club in 2015/16.

‘Everybody thinks in a different way,’ says Son. ‘I’m the type who is always hiding the pain. I didn’t want people to know. We’re professional footballers, everyone has pain, everyone takes painkillers before the game.

‘I don’t know how many people go into games feeling like, ‘Oh wow, I feel 100 per cent fit, without pain’. Maybe one or two games a season. Maybe. You accept it. I suffered. But I took the decision and I take all the blame.

‘I can’t say yes it had a massive effect, but the Premier League is one of the toughest in the world. If you’re 100 per cent fit it’s tough, if you can perform only 60 or 70 per cent, it’s going to be a killer.’

Not only did he play through the pain of a hernia, he also fractured an eye socket in November and had to wear a protective mask for weeks, which he did not enjoy.

Son feels like a ‘new man’ ahead of the season and is out to return to his former vein of form

Ange Postecoglou (left) is Son’s fifth permanent manager since he joined Tottenham in 2015

He has no ill feeling towards Antonio Conte (centre) following the Italian’s blistering attack on his players after they turned a victory into a draw against Southampton back in March

The final game of Tottenham’s miserable season, at Leeds, was the closest he came to giving in. 

‘I looked at the staff and I couldn’t say, “there’s one more game and I’m going to have surgery now”,’ he says. ‘I was just closing my eyes and praying, please let’s win.’

With this in mind, Son is entitled to have been hurt by Antonio Conte’s blistering attack on his Spurs players, branding them ‘selfish’ after conceding two late goals and turning victory into a draw at Southampton in March.

‘It is a bit painful, but people see it in different ways,’ he says. ‘I don’t think he meant it. He was just in an aggressive, emotional way after the game.

‘I can’t say anything bad about him. I’m grateful to have worked with him. I was good with him. The season before was fantastic. I won the Golden Boot and expectation was high. 

‘The team needed me in a different way in the difficult moments and, for whatever reason, pain or whatever, I couldn’t perform so I still feel sorry for him.

‘Obviously, the end was not ideal, not what we wanted but I’m grateful. I learned lots. Lots about football, being a human being and being more passionate.’

Surgery means Son is a week or so behind his teammates in preparation for the new season. He would have started against Leicester in Bangkok on Sunday but it was cancelled because the pitch was waterlogged. He is expected to feature on Wednesday against Lion City Sailors in Singapore.

Son (top right) poses for a picture with local children from Second Chance Bangkok – with players helping repurpose some of last season’s shirts into new school bags

‘Now, I feel really good, fresh,’ says Son. 

‘I feel a new man. Ready to rock n’ roll. I just want to show that last season was not the Sonny we all know. That the six seasons performing in a consistent way, wasn’t lucky. It was hard work.

‘Last season wasn’t the best but at 30 years old this was the year I learned most. 

‘I can’t say it was a fantastic season but in terms of mentality, it was just as good as two seasons ago because I could see I could bring it back from where I started.

‘This season, I just want to show the Sonny we all know is still there.’

Son Heung-min was speaking at a sustainability upcycling event with local children from Second Chance Bangkok. The players helped the children to repurpose some of last season’s shirts into new school bags.