Son Heung-min Crowned EPL Top Scorer... Every Step Taken Is History

Multi-Goal in Final 38th Round Away Match of 2021-2022 EPL Season... 22nd and 23rd League Goals
Shared Top Scorer Title with Salah... Son Heung-min Notable for No Penalty Kick Goals
First Asian EPL Top Scorer, Only One Among Europe's Big Five Leagues
Modest EPL Debut... Shows Gradual Improvement
Breaks All Korean Scoring Records... Honored in Ballon d'Or Top 30, FIFA Pusk?s Award, PFA Team of the Year
Son Heung-min's Success Rooted in Father Son Woong-jung's Emphasis on Basics and Ambidexterity

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League (EPL) posed holding the 'Golden Boot' (top scorer trophy) immediately after the final 38th round match against Norwich City at Carrow Road in Norwich on the 22nd (local time). He scored his 22nd and 23rd goals in this match, becoming the first Asian to share the EPL top scorer title alongside Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, who also added a goal that day. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] Son Heung-min (30) has claimed the top scorer title in the English Premier League (EPL).

On the 23rd (Korean time), Son Heung-min scored twice in the 38th and final round of the 2021-2022 EPL season away match against Norwich City at Carrow Road in Norwich, UK, leading his team to a 5-0 victory.

With these goals, Son Heung-min finished the season with 23 goals in the EPL, sharing the top scorer award with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. Notably, Son Heung-min became the fourth player in EPL history to win the top scorer title purely through field goals (excluding penalty kicks), earning high praise. Salah scored 5 of his 23 goals from penalty kicks.

After the match, Son Heung-min told local media, "I can't believe I have won the top scorer title," adding, "It was a dream since I was young, and I still can't believe it has become a reality."

This is the first time an Asian player has won the EPL top scorer award. Expanding the scope to the five major European leagues (England, Spain, Germany, Italy, France), Son Heung-min is also the first Asian to become the top scorer. Although Iranian player Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Feyenoord) was the top scorer with 21 goals in the Dutch Eredivisie in the 2017-18 season, the Dutch league is generally not classified as a major league.

Tottenham Hotspur player Son Heung-min [Photo by Yonhap News]

Son Heung-min made his EPL debut in the 2015-16 season. After scoring double-digit goals for three consecutive seasons at Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, he transferred to Tottenham Hotspur from Leverkusen in the summer of 2015 for a transfer fee of 30 million euros (approximately 40 billion KRW).

In his first season as an 'EPL rookie,' Son had a tough time. He struggled to adapt to the fast pace and quick transitions typical of the EPL, scoring only 4 goals in the league. Naturally, he had more substitute appearances than starts and did not get enough opportunities. Mid-season, he also faced difficulties managing his condition due to injuries such as plantar fasciitis.

After his first season, rumors of a transfer back to a German Bundesliga team surfaced, and Son almost left Tottenham. However, he decided to stay after a heartfelt request from then Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. In a 2019 interview with a London newspaper, Son revealed, "I almost left Tottenham in 2016. I went to the manager's office and told him I wanted to leave for Germany," adding, "Pochettino believed in me. I am grateful to him."

In the 2016-17 season, having barely stayed in the EPL, Son soared like magic. He exploded with 21 goals in all competitions, including 14 in the league, breaking the record for most goals in a European top division season by a Korean player previously set by former national team coach Cha Bum-kun in the 1985-86 season with Leverkusen. He also surpassed Park Ji-sung's record for total goals by a Korean Premier League player. Son won the EPL Player of the Month award twice that season.

Before the 2018-19 season, Son participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, scoring two goals in the group stage against Mexico and Germany. He also competed in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, winning a gold medal and resolving the military service issue that had cast uncertainty over his career.

In the following seasons, Son emerged as a world-class player. In the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, he scored in both legs against the strong Manchester City, playing a key role in Tottenham's historic first-ever advancement to the Champions League semifinals. Tottenham then defeated Ajax in the semifinals to reach the Champions League final for the first time but narrowly lost to Liverpool, finishing as runners-up. Despite the loss, Son received the highest rating among Tottenham forwards in the final.

He also made history by scoring the first Premier League and first Champions League goals at Tottenham's new stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Thanks to these achievements, Son became the first Korean ever to be shortlisted among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d'Or in 2019. Although Seol Ki-hyeon and Park Ji-sung had been nominated before, none had made it into the top 30 candidates. Son finished 22nd in the final ranking.

In December 2019, during the 16th round match against Burnley, Son scored a 'wonder goal' by dribbling approximately 70 meters alone, beating five defenders. This goal earned him the EPL Goal of the Season and the 2020 FIFA Pusk?s Award.

In the 2020-21 season, Son broke his personal record for most league goals and ranked third in EPL attacking points, becoming the first Asian player selected for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Team of the Year. This season, with 23 goals, he once again broke his own record, becoming the first Asian to win the EPL top scorer title and continuing his remarkable streak of scoring double-digit goals in six consecutive EPL seasons since 2016-17.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Son Heung-min's extraordinary performance is widely known to be rooted in the guidance of his father, Son Woong-jung. From a young age, his father emphasized fundamentals and the ability to use both feet, making him practice ball juggling nonstop for four hours or perform 1,000 two-foot dribbles and shots through rigorous training.

Even after Son turned professional, his father continued to support him closely, taking care of both on- and off-field matters. It is a well-known story that his father cooked rice and sent it to the team dormitory and that when Son showed signs of laziness during the season, they endured grueling training together during the off-season.

Son also understands his father's strict love. He once said, "My football is entirely my father's work," showing his strong trust in his father.

Meanwhile, Tottenham secured 71 points with their victory in the final EPL match, surpassing their 'North London rival' Arsenal, who earned 69 points, to finish fourth in the league and secure a Champions League ticket for next season. This marks their return to the Champions League after three years since the 2019-20 season, and with significant club investment anticipated, expectations are already high for Son Heung-min's future performances on the biggest stage.

Son himself declared in a post-match interview with an excited voice, "It's still too early to be satisfied." He continued, "We believe we can still do better. We shouldn't be satisfied here. Of course, I'm happy to be back on the Champions League stage, but I believe we can achieve more than what we've done so far. I'm really looking forward to next season."