Son Heung-min urges Tottenham teammates to embrace responsibility, focus, and dedication

Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) emphasized to his teammates that "mental strength, focus, and dedication to the team are necessary to win."

Tottenham will play against AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League (UEL) Round of 16 on the 14th at 5 a.m. (Korean time) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. Tottenham lost the first leg to Alkmaar 0-1. A two-goal victory is essential in the second leg.

Son Heung-min delivered a message of awakening to his teammates.

Ahead of the second leg against Alkmaar, he emphasized in an interview with the Tottenham club on the 10th that "we need to take on more responsibility." His voice became even more powerful after Tottenham drew 2-2 against Bournemouth in their Premier League match on the 9th.

Tottenham narrowly secured 1 point against Bournemouth with Son Heung-min's penalty kick goal in the final moments of the match.

Son Heung-min said, "Everyone needs to reflect on themselves. There is no one to help us on the field. The players on the pitch need to take on more responsibility. We continually start loosely, concede goals, and find ourselves in a situation where we have to catch up, which is not an ideal scenario. We need to show a stronger side and take a step forward. We cannot always stay on the same step; we must continue to move forward."

He added, "We must accept difficult moments and focus on the second leg home game. We need to think positively. Fans, players, coaching staff, and everyone in the club must unite. Only then can we change the outcome. Simply showing good performance does not guarantee victory. To win the game, mental strength, focus, and dedication to the team are necessary. It is crucial to always work hard, respect the opponent, and give our best. Especially at home, we must secure a victory."

Son Heung-min's scoring in the previous match is a positive factor for Tottenham ahead of the second leg against Alkmaar.

Son Heung-min, who was on the bench during the Bournemouth match, was substituted in at the beginning of the second half.

Son Heung-min scored the equalizer in the 37th minute of the second half when Tottenham was trailing 1-2. He created a one-on-one situation with the opposing goalkeeper through a quick penetration and won a penalty. Bournemouth players strongly protested, but the decision was not overturned.

Taking the penalty kick, Son Heung-min executed a Panenka kick and shook the net. It was his seventh league goal and his first goal in ten official matches.

The match ended in a 2-2 draw without any additional goals. Both teams shared 1 point each as the game concluded.

If he had ended the match in silence, there would have been endless criticism in the UK, but after being substituted in, Son Heung-min saved the team with a goal, proving he is still a "problem solver."

The British media 'Standard' awarded Son Heung-min the highest rating in the team with 8 points, praising him for his "outstanding movement and creating decisive moments."

British 'Sky Sports' also awarded Son Heung-min the highest rating in the team with 8 points, stating, "Son Heung-min drew an unnecessary foul from the goalkeeper," and praised him for his "savvy penalty kick that deceived the goalkeeper, saving the team from the brink of defeat." Goalkeeper Vicario, who put on a show, also received the highest rating of 8 points.

With this day's goal, Son Heung-min recorded a total of 127 goals in the English Premier League (EPL), tying with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. At the same time, he surpassed Robbie Keane (126 goals), who also played for Tottenham, placing him 16th in the history of EPL for most goals.

Son Heung-min's next target is Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), who has 143 goals. However, since Vardy is still an active player, it is also possible for Son to catch up with Robin van Persie, who recorded 144 goals.

Additionally, Son Heung-min is just 1 goal away from tying for 4th place for the most goals in Tottenham history. He has scored a total of 173 goals for Tottenham, ranking him 5th in the club's all-time scoring list. He needs one more goal to equal Martin Chivers (174 goals).

Currently, only Chivers, Bobby Smith (208 goals), Jimmy Greaves (268 goals), and Harry Kane (280 goals) are ahead of Son Heung-min.

[OSEN = No Jin-joo Reporter]