EMPIRE OF THE SON

In the spring of 2020, a shaven-headed man crouched holding an M16 assault rifle in Moseulpo, on the island of Jeju. Seventy years earlier, his countrymen had trained at the very same base, preparing for the most significant battle of the Korean War.

Supported by forces from China and the Soviet Union, North Korea had swept south through the Korean peninsula in 1950, capturing all but a tiny part of the mainland. The volcanic island of Jeju, 80 miles further south, was one of the few places that South Korea had left. From there, troops sailed west of Seoul to Incheon, where they combined with British and American forces for the battle that turned the conflict. It paved the way for the modern South Korea.

Now, one of South Korea’s biggest stars had come to Jeju to serve his country, like so many of his predecessors. In keeping with tradition, Son Heung-min had shaved off his trademark locks for the occasion, as he learned to fire a gun, went on a 30km march and was exposed to tear gas, in an exercise preparing him to combat chemical weapons.

For years, Son’s compulsory military service had been a controversial topic in South Korea, a cloud hanging over his head. It was uncertain when he would be called up to the army, and for how long. Training could have taken as long as 21 months – it threatened to scupper his entire football career, and he knew it.

But now, just as Tottenham were preparing to emerge from lockdown back in England, Son’s military service was done. It had been the only potential impediment to his relentless progress as a Premier League player, and it was gone.

From that moment onwards, all he’s had to worry about is football. In the nine months since then, the Korean has produced the greatest form of his career, and further established himself as one of the best players in the world.

And all it took was four hours doing keepie-uppies with his dad.

FATHER AND SON

Son’s relentless progress owes much to his father, and the mentality instilled in him from an early age. Son Woong-jung – nicknamed ‘Dad Heung-min’ by some fans – was a footballer who played as a forward for South Korea’s B team, before injury ended his career at 28.

Son Heung-min was born two years later, growing up in the city of Chuncheon with his older brother, 50 miles north-east of Seoul. Both ambitious to become footballers, their father told them that a mastery of technical skills was the path to success. His training methods were stern and demanding, reaching obsessive levels on a dirt pitch near their home where they would practise every single day.

Son would have to juggle the ball for three laps of the pitch – one with the left foot, one with the right, then one with both. If he dropped the ball at any point, he had to start again from the first lap. Afraid of his father, he never dared to disobey – a passer-by once threatened to call the police after witnessing Son receive a fierce tirade from his dad during training.

On another occasion, after the brothers got into a quarrel at home, their father responded with a special kind of punishment. “He gave us four hours of keepie-uppies,” Son revealed of that day, when he was 10 years old. “After two hours, you see the floor like a rollercoaster –