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Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min recently explained why he wouldn't get married until retirement, saying that he would always give first preference to his football over anything else.
The forward, who has played for Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, is considered one of the best wingers in world football. Across his career, he has notched 267 goals and 120 assists in 716 appearances for club and country combined.
Son is often called the 'David Beckham of Asia', because of his marketability and acclaim that goes beyond football. He has earned Tottenham a die-hard group of Korean fans, who are often seen outside their training ground.
Yet, the superstar winger has no plans to find a partner and settle down, echoing his father Son Woong-jung's sentiments. His father was a former professional footballer who made it to the top level in South Korea and has played a big role in shaping his personality and footballing career so far.
This week, Son was at an all-girls disability football session at Vale School organized by the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation to celebrate International Women’s Day.
Talking about how he wants to be unwaveringly committed to football when he is at the peak of his powers, he said:
“My father says this and I agree, as well. When you marry, the number one will be family, wife and kids, and then football. I want to make sure that while I play at the top level, football can be number one. You don’t know how long you can play at the top level. When you retire, or when you are 33 or 34, you can still have a long life with your family.”
Son has previously been romantically linked with Korean pop stars Bang Min-ah and Yoo So-young but currently remains unattached.
Son Heung-min thanks fans, cites idol Cristiano Ronaldo's example explaining the importance of hard work
In the same interview, Son candidly talked about his footballing journey growing up, and elaborated upon his thought processes every time he took to the field.
The Korean forward thanked all his fans and said that he desired to repay their faith in him every time he took to the pitch.
"I just want to make sure I make everyone happy by playing at the top level.. for as long as I can, to pay back to them. This is very important for me," he said.
Son went on to cite his idol, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, as an example of the age-old saying, 'hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard'.
"I know being a professional is about more than talent. It’s like my idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, who actually works more than the talent he has. I see many players who don’t have the mentality, who think talent is enough. But it’s not,” he added.
Next up, Son Heung-min and Tottenham Hotspur will face fourth-placed Aston Villa in a Premier League clash on Sunday, March 10.
