In 2018, Arsenal and French soccer legend Thierry Henry met Son Heung-min on Sky Sports and asked him, "You always look happy, why are you smiling so much?" He was intrigued by Son, who always had a smile on his face.
James Maddison, who joined the team this season, feels the same way. "It doesn't take long for him to put a smile on his face. He's a naturally good person, someone you want to hug every time you see him in the morning."
'Smile Man' Son Heung-min's anger was evident during the 2023-24 English Premier League Round 14 match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on Thursday (June 4).
It's the 26th minute of the first half, 1-1. Brian Hill intercepted a ball in the Manchester City defense. The Manchester City defenders rushed Hill, leaving Son Heung-min unmarked in the center of the field.
Instead of passing right away, Hill drove the ball and sent a pass to Son Heung-min. While Hill was dribbling, the Manchester City defense had moved into the penalty box, and the pass to Son was lightly intercepted by Naby Dias.
Son vented his frustration in a furious gesture, swinging his right arm wildly at Hill. It was an unusual display for Son, who is known for his competitive nature but rarely loses his temper.
Hill's poorly timed pass proved costly. Having survived the crisis, Manchester City regrouped and pressed Tottenham, and Phil Foden broke the deadlock in the 31st minute.
Hill is one of the hottest prospects in Spanish soccer. He came through the ranks at Sevilla's youth team and has four caps for Spain's senior national team.
Tottenham recognized Hill's potential and spent €25 million to sign him in 2021.
With the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura dominating the forward line at the time, Hill was loaned out to Valencia in 2021-22 and then to Sevilla last season to gain game time. With Sevilla, he won the Europa League and boosted his stock. 온라인카지노
With the arrival of Manor Solomon, Brennan Johnson, and others in the same position, Tottenham's prospects for the season weren't promising, but injuries to Ivan Perisic, Solomon, Hischalisson, and others in the attacking line opened up opportunities for Hill. He came on as a substitute against Crystal Palace in round 10, then against Wolverhampton in round 12, and made his first start against Aston Villa in round 13. Against Manchester City, the defending champions and one of the strongest teams in the Premier League right now, Postecoglou made a bold decision to start Hill.
Possessing one of the best dribbling skills in the Premier League, if not the entire Tottenham team, Hill was able to slip through City's intense pressure early on. Son Heung-min's first goal came from Hill's pressure and passing.
However, as time went on and City began to settle into Hill's tempo, he lost the ball more often. Tottenham's counter-attacking chances also went begging.
Eventually, Postecoglou made the decision to substitute Hill at the start of the second half. He brought on central midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in place of Hill, while attacking midfielder Dejan Kuluczewski dropped to the flank that Hill had occupied and Giovani Rosselló moved into Kuluczewski's place.
After Giovani Rossello equalized in the 69th minute, Tottenham conceded again in the 81st minute through Jack Grealish to make it 2-3. However, a dramatic 90th-minute equalizer from Dejan Krzysztof Kuluczewski secured a valuable point away to Manchester City.
After the game, Tottenham players, including Son Heung-min, greeted the team and fans with jubilant faces. Hill came off the bench and onto the field to share the joy of a point with the players.