Spurs Summer Transfer Window Day 47
Today is Spurs Summer Transfer Window Day 47 which mainly comprises an interview with Heung-min Son by GQ magazine.
"What Kane and I really have in common is that we both have a lot of greed and have the strong will to always improve. Even beyond soccer skills, our mindsets are similar."
Below is an interview with Heung-min Son but those two sentences show a winning mentality right there, a "strong will to always improve" and "our mindsets are similar".
That's why the pair excel, they have different mindsets to most of you guys, different mindset to Dele Alli and all those who think they have made it and stop striving to improve.
HM: I really want to show them a lot, but first I'm first going to look up a delicious restaurant to take them to. The players like BBQ.
GQ: The Brazilian national team recently received attention for their visit to Seoul that was like a school trip.
HM: The Brazilian national team visited Everland and Namsan, which are also very fun places, but I want to bring my friends to my hometown Chuncheon. I want to eat dak-galbi with them and show them the youth academy that I run. I want to sort of show off the environment that I've created for the young players and show them what I've been doing.
GQ: Of your teammates, your close friend and striker partner Harry Kane set a new EPL record with you for the most combined goals. Your friendship and teamwork have caused you to even be called the Jay-Z and Beyoncé of Tottenham.
HM: I didn't know about those nicknames, but I saw Kane's interview where he said that he spends more time with me than his wife. That's really the fact though. (laughs) I also spend more time on the field with Kane than I do with my parents at home.
GQ: In Korea, the Son-Kane duo is nicknamed the 'Ka Soo-Jong and Son Hee-Ra' couple. What do you think about these nicknames? Do you like it? (Note: Named after Choi Soo-Jong and Ha Hee-Ra, middle-aged actors who are known as the ideal married couple in Korea)
HM: I don't mind, but wouldn't Kane's opinion be important also? (laughs)
GQ: Why, Kane has so many photos of you on his social media that there is the 'covered in Son Heung-Min' meme, and he wrote captions like, "Anything that makes Sonny smile is a good thing"
HM: We are really close. We understand each other really well, and we also know how the other is outside of the field. Kane and I both know what the other likes.
GQ: So your combined goal record must have been meaningful in a different way from your Golden Boot.
HM: It's really special. We have already made 41 goals together. What Kane and I really have in common is that we both have a lot of greed and have the strong will to always improve. Even beyond soccer skills, our mindsets are similar. I want to continue the record that I have set with a teammate like this, although our record will be broken one day. Even when we're training, if one of us makes an assist for the other's goal, we joke around saying, "Hey, it's our 42nd goal now?"
GQ: There are many soccer fans who go to England to watch a game and see the Son-Kane duo's chemistry. Do you have any tips for enjoying a home game at Hotspur Stadium?
HM: According to the fans, there is an interesting beer machine. If you put a glass on, it is filled from the bottom exactly to the top of the glass. And if I was a spectator, I think I would go to the fan shop. A few blocks before you arrive at the stadium, if you follow the people wearing Tottenham uniforms, you'll arrive at the stadium. I heard that you'll never lose your way if you follow them. I think a charm of the home stadium is becoming a part of that crowd
GQ: Over 3 seasons, you spent 300 hours flying 220,000 kilometers on planes. What do you usually do during flights?
HM: I just space out and look out the window or think about the next game. If there are soccer videos in the in-flight entertainment system, I spend time watching those.
GQ: Soccer is always on your mind. Don't you want to turn the switch off for a moment when you're off the field?
HM: I think I spend about 2 weeks every year with the switch off. During this time (interview was held in mid-June), I can let it go for a moment and not think about soccer. But I can't let it go completely for those 2 weeks.
GQ: For example?
HM: I can't eat a lot for my meals because it feels like I'm lying to my body. I've worked so hard for a year, but if I rest for those 2 weeks, forget everything about soccer, and just do whatever I want, then it's really difficult when I start again.
GQ: After you put your hair bangs up, it seems that you have had better game results and made more goals. Does your mood change at all depending on your styling on game days? Sort of like a jinx.
HM: Not at all. There is a hair stylist I had for a long time, and in the past, the stylist praised me for doing my hair well on game days. But I paid less attention to my hair when fans weren't able to come into the stadium anymore due to COVID-19, and the stylist said I've changed. (laughs)
GQ: The stylist said you've been slacking?
HM: Yup. (laughs) But I didn't have the energy to focus on my hair. These days, I do work on my hair more again before games. Hairstyle is actually important. More than anything, if my forehead is covered during the game, I can't see the ball very well because of my hair. I can't mess up a decision in a moment that could change the game because I'm distracted by my hair. That is why I do a hairstyle that shows my forehead, but it also suits me, so I do it often. I'm not sure about the correlation between my hairstyle and good results because I have always been working hard.
GQ: When your name is searched, there are related search terms like 'Son Heung-Min hair' and 'Son Heung-Min Guile haircut.' How much effort do you usually spend on grooming and beauty?
HM: I find beauty care to be a bit burdensome, so I don't put in much effort. I just put on sunscreen when playing and use a face mask once in a while when I'm exposed to a lot of sun. I use hair products good for my scalp because I receive a lot of sun exposure, but besides that, I don't put in much effort.
GQ: Do you sometimes talk about fashion with your teammates like "This kind of style looks nice these days"?
HM: I don't think I have a teammate that I get along well with when it comes to fashion.
GQ: Because there's not much interest?
HM: No, it's because they don't really understand my style. They tease me so much. I like wide pants because I have thick thighs and because they're easy to style, but wide fit pants are not really popular in Europe. They say this: "Sonny dresses really well, but that only looks good on Sonny. If I dressed like that, I definitely couldn't pull it off."
GQ: So it's like, yeah, looks good, but just you wear it, and I won't?
HM: Right. Like, it only looks good on you! (laughs) European players usually like tight fit pants or hip street fashion. But I often talk about nice t-shirts and such with Davies and Ryan.
GQ: Besides your teammates, are there any other players who you converse well with or have gotten close to recently? Neymar?
HM: Ah! (laughs) Neymar is a player that I really like, and I received a lot of inspiration from him when it comes to soccer. I recently talked to a Brazilian player on my team and joked, "Does Neymar know me?" and he responded, "Sonny, like we talk about Neymar, they also talk about you and Kane." Then with Neymar visiting Korea, we contacted each other a bit as I tried to see if there was anything I could help him with, and we became a bit closer. We are also the same age.
GQ: Let's talk about soccer a bit. At friendlies in Korea recently, you made two amazing free kick goals. It was a point of interest for soccer fans as it was your first free kick goal in a while, and there are many fans who look forward to Son Heung-Min PKs.
HM: Ah, but I think this is a framed conception about me. After training, Kane and I always stay behind and practice PKs a lot. Maybe because I'm Korean and Korean fans really want me to succeed, but I think they feel nervous when I'm on PKs. But even if I don't make them, I feel confident. And what if I don't make them? I'll work to make field goals. Of course, I think I have to work harder on PKs. I did improve a lot, but I don't think I'm as good as Kane yet.
GQ: If the opportunity comes after you return to the team, do you want to take PKs?
HM: I must! If I'm a player, I think I must take them. If I don't take them just because I didn't make a few, I become a person who gives up and tries to avoid the situation. I don't want to become that kind of person.
GQ: You won the EPL Golden Boot this season. Which of your 23 goals would you pick as your 'Goal of the Year'?
HM: I have never picked my 'Goal of the Year' or 'Best Goal.' I started soccer when I was 18, and my first-ever goal is the most precious to the point that I would not switch it with anything else in life, but I still do not pick any goal as my best. I do not want to become someone who does not judge all my other goals as being the same. A goal that I made more easily is just as special and meaningful to me as a goal that won me the Puskás Award or a goal that I made at the Germany game of the Russia World Cup.
GQ: You are known for having a lot of tears. If you shed tears at the Qatar World Cup, in what kind of situation would you wish to shed tears?
HM: Honestly, I would like to not shed tears.
GQ: But what about tears of happiness?
HM: I tend to not shed tears of happiness. I'm just really joyful when Im happy. If I cry, it's because I'm frustrated. When things don't go as I wish and I get angry, I shed tears like a young child. (laughs) At this World Cup, I hope to not cry and end while smiling with my teammates and patting each other's backs. We will do the best that we can in our positions in order for Korean citizens to enjoy the festival of soccer. I think that is the only promise I can make.
GQ: You're not going to cry, right?
HM: I must smile!
- Troy Parrott has signed a new contract with the Club until 2025 and joined Championship side Preston North End on loan for the 2022/23 season.
- Ben Davies has signed a new contract with Spurs which will run until 2025 and stretch his tenure at the club to 11 years.
Son interview with GQ Magazine
GQ: Your Tottenham teammates are visiting Korea in July for the pre-season tour. What parts of Seoul are you planning on showing them?HM: I really want to show them a lot, but first I'm first going to look up a delicious restaurant to take them to. The players like BBQ.
GQ: The Brazilian national team recently received attention for their visit to Seoul that was like a school trip.
HM: The Brazilian national team visited Everland and Namsan, which are also very fun places, but I want to bring my friends to my hometown Chuncheon. I want to eat dak-galbi with them and show them the youth academy that I run. I want to sort of show off the environment that I've created for the young players and show them what I've been doing.
GQ: Of your teammates, your close friend and striker partner Harry Kane set a new EPL record with you for the most combined goals. Your friendship and teamwork have caused you to even be called the Jay-Z and Beyoncé of Tottenham.
HM: I didn't know about those nicknames, but I saw Kane's interview where he said that he spends more time with me than his wife. That's really the fact though. (laughs) I also spend more time on the field with Kane than I do with my parents at home.
GQ: In Korea, the Son-Kane duo is nicknamed the 'Ka Soo-Jong and Son Hee-Ra' couple. What do you think about these nicknames? Do you like it? (Note: Named after Choi Soo-Jong and Ha Hee-Ra, middle-aged actors who are known as the ideal married couple in Korea)
HM: I don't mind, but wouldn't Kane's opinion be important also? (laughs)
GQ: Why, Kane has so many photos of you on his social media that there is the 'covered in Son Heung-Min' meme, and he wrote captions like, "Anything that makes Sonny smile is a good thing"
HM: We are really close. We understand each other really well, and we also know how the other is outside of the field. Kane and I both know what the other likes.
GQ: So your combined goal record must have been meaningful in a different way from your Golden Boot.
HM: It's really special. We have already made 41 goals together. What Kane and I really have in common is that we both have a lot of greed and have the strong will to always improve. Even beyond soccer skills, our mindsets are similar. I want to continue the record that I have set with a teammate like this, although our record will be broken one day. Even when we're training, if one of us makes an assist for the other's goal, we joke around saying, "Hey, it's our 42nd goal now?"
GQ: There are many soccer fans who go to England to watch a game and see the Son-Kane duo's chemistry. Do you have any tips for enjoying a home game at Hotspur Stadium?
HM: According to the fans, there is an interesting beer machine. If you put a glass on, it is filled from the bottom exactly to the top of the glass. And if I was a spectator, I think I would go to the fan shop. A few blocks before you arrive at the stadium, if you follow the people wearing Tottenham uniforms, you'll arrive at the stadium. I heard that you'll never lose your way if you follow them. I think a charm of the home stadium is becoming a part of that crowd
GQ: Over 3 seasons, you spent 300 hours flying 220,000 kilometers on planes. What do you usually do during flights?
HM: I just space out and look out the window or think about the next game. If there are soccer videos in the in-flight entertainment system, I spend time watching those.
GQ: Soccer is always on your mind. Don't you want to turn the switch off for a moment when you're off the field?
HM: I think I spend about 2 weeks every year with the switch off. During this time (interview was held in mid-June), I can let it go for a moment and not think about soccer. But I can't let it go completely for those 2 weeks.
GQ: For example?
HM: I can't eat a lot for my meals because it feels like I'm lying to my body. I've worked so hard for a year, but if I rest for those 2 weeks, forget everything about soccer, and just do whatever I want, then it's really difficult when I start again.
GQ: After you put your hair bangs up, it seems that you have had better game results and made more goals. Does your mood change at all depending on your styling on game days? Sort of like a jinx.
HM: Not at all. There is a hair stylist I had for a long time, and in the past, the stylist praised me for doing my hair well on game days. But I paid less attention to my hair when fans weren't able to come into the stadium anymore due to COVID-19, and the stylist said I've changed. (laughs)
GQ: The stylist said you've been slacking?
HM: Yup. (laughs) But I didn't have the energy to focus on my hair. These days, I do work on my hair more again before games. Hairstyle is actually important. More than anything, if my forehead is covered during the game, I can't see the ball very well because of my hair. I can't mess up a decision in a moment that could change the game because I'm distracted by my hair. That is why I do a hairstyle that shows my forehead, but it also suits me, so I do it often. I'm not sure about the correlation between my hairstyle and good results because I have always been working hard.
GQ: When your name is searched, there are related search terms like 'Son Heung-Min hair' and 'Son Heung-Min Guile haircut.' How much effort do you usually spend on grooming and beauty?
HM: I find beauty care to be a bit burdensome, so I don't put in much effort. I just put on sunscreen when playing and use a face mask once in a while when I'm exposed to a lot of sun. I use hair products good for my scalp because I receive a lot of sun exposure, but besides that, I don't put in much effort.
GQ: Do you sometimes talk about fashion with your teammates like "This kind of style looks nice these days"?
HM: I don't think I have a teammate that I get along well with when it comes to fashion.
GQ: Because there's not much interest?
HM: No, it's because they don't really understand my style. They tease me so much. I like wide pants because I have thick thighs and because they're easy to style, but wide fit pants are not really popular in Europe. They say this: "Sonny dresses really well, but that only looks good on Sonny. If I dressed like that, I definitely couldn't pull it off."
GQ: So it's like, yeah, looks good, but just you wear it, and I won't?
HM: Right. Like, it only looks good on you! (laughs) European players usually like tight fit pants or hip street fashion. But I often talk about nice t-shirts and such with Davies and Ryan.
GQ: Besides your teammates, are there any other players who you converse well with or have gotten close to recently? Neymar?
HM: Ah! (laughs) Neymar is a player that I really like, and I received a lot of inspiration from him when it comes to soccer. I recently talked to a Brazilian player on my team and joked, "Does Neymar know me?" and he responded, "Sonny, like we talk about Neymar, they also talk about you and Kane." Then with Neymar visiting Korea, we contacted each other a bit as I tried to see if there was anything I could help him with, and we became a bit closer. We are also the same age.
GQ: Let's talk about soccer a bit. At friendlies in Korea recently, you made two amazing free kick goals. It was a point of interest for soccer fans as it was your first free kick goal in a while, and there are many fans who look forward to Son Heung-Min PKs.
HM: Ah, but I think this is a framed conception about me. After training, Kane and I always stay behind and practice PKs a lot. Maybe because I'm Korean and Korean fans really want me to succeed, but I think they feel nervous when I'm on PKs. But even if I don't make them, I feel confident. And what if I don't make them? I'll work to make field goals. Of course, I think I have to work harder on PKs. I did improve a lot, but I don't think I'm as good as Kane yet.
GQ: If the opportunity comes after you return to the team, do you want to take PKs?
HM: I must! If I'm a player, I think I must take them. If I don't take them just because I didn't make a few, I become a person who gives up and tries to avoid the situation. I don't want to become that kind of person.
GQ: You won the EPL Golden Boot this season. Which of your 23 goals would you pick as your 'Goal of the Year'?
HM: I have never picked my 'Goal of the Year' or 'Best Goal.' I started soccer when I was 18, and my first-ever goal is the most precious to the point that I would not switch it with anything else in life, but I still do not pick any goal as my best. I do not want to become someone who does not judge all my other goals as being the same. A goal that I made more easily is just as special and meaningful to me as a goal that won me the Puskás Award or a goal that I made at the Germany game of the Russia World Cup.
GQ: You are known for having a lot of tears. If you shed tears at the Qatar World Cup, in what kind of situation would you wish to shed tears?
HM: Honestly, I would like to not shed tears.
GQ: But what about tears of happiness?
HM: I tend to not shed tears of happiness. I'm just really joyful when Im happy. If I cry, it's because I'm frustrated. When things don't go as I wish and I get angry, I shed tears like a young child. (laughs) At this World Cup, I hope to not cry and end while smiling with my teammates and patting each other's backs. We will do the best that we can in our positions in order for Korean citizens to enjoy the festival of soccer. I think that is the only promise I can make.
GQ: You're not going to cry, right?
HM: I must smile!
COYS
2 comments
I have to admit that I've always found complaints / criticism about a voluntary / free service to be somewhat out of place. As someone who volunteers my time, in another area completely mind you, I can confirm that such comments - however politely framed - don't sit well with me, or the rest of the team of volunteers I am very proud to be involved with.
Personally I hadn't caught up with the GQ interview and I found it interesting, and certainly better than nothing on what might be termed a slow-news day.
COYS!!