On Saturday, South Korean soccer star Son Heung-Min scored his 100th goal in the Premier League, one of Europe’s top professional soccer leagues. He is the first Asian player, according to NBC Sports to reach the milestone in the Premier League.
The 30-year-old joined Hamburger SV’s youth academy in Hamburg, Germany, at age 16. He signed his professional contract for the club at age 18 and stayed there for two years before joining Bayern Leverkusen in 2013.
In 2015, Son signed with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in North London. He has played for Tottenham ever since, helping the club reach the Champions League final in 2019. Last year, he became the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot.
Son has also been an important player for his country. He won the 2018 Asian Games with South Korea, assisting both goals for the team in the Gold Medal match. The victory secured the team’s exemption from mandatory military service. He captained the team during the 2022 World Cup, helping them qualify for the knock-out rounds.
Tottenham played Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club on Saturday, April 8. Son scored a right-footed curler from outside of the box to give Tottenham the early lead. It was the 100th Premier League goal of his career.
After the game, Son revealed that his grandfather recently passed away and said he wanted to “send that goal to him.” He also spoke about what it meant to be the first Asian player to reach 100 goals in the Premier League.
“I hope all Asian players – especially in South Korea – look at this achievement & believe they can do it as well. I take big responsibility to be a good example to help the young guys. I want them to believe an Asian player can do amazing things in the PL,” he said in his post-match interview, according to NBC Sports.
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