Pippa Jones ‘28

by Pippa Jones ‘28 on October 23, 2025

The renowned soccer player, Son Heung-Min, 33, from South Korea has recently made his debut in the U.S. by signing with Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer (MLS). As an extremely talented player, Son has proven his skillset with nine goals and three assists in just ten league outings. He has been dominating MLS and rapidly making his way into the hearts of American soccer fanatics. 

Son’s father, Son Woong-Jung, is a retired soccer manager who played on South Korea’s B team. Building on his father’s success, Son has had an impactful influence on the sport. Son now plays for South Korea’s national team and is the captain. Son has remarkable technical skills, thus the coined nickname “Silky Son.” His quick feet and ball control stem from his proficiency at using both feet rather than being dominant in just one.

Son started his professional soccer career in the Bundesliga, the German soccer league. At the age of 16, he began playing for Amburger SV in 2010. He then transferred to Bayer Leverkusen. Son is trilingual, fluent in Korean, English, and German. He became fluent in German during his time there to show his dedication to his career. After the Bundesliga, Son signed with the North London Premier League team, Tottenham Hotspur FC. Spurs fans immediately adored him with his technicality on the pitch and his compassion off the pitch. Son helped Tottenham become the runner-up in Champions League in the 2018–19 season. Son later became the first Asian to be awarded the Golden Boot in the 2021–22 season, scoring 23 goals. Finally, Son gained his captaincy in 2023 and went on to be a strong leader for the Spurs throughout his remaining seasons. In his final season with the club in 2025, Son led the team to win the European League Title. This was Son’s last gift to the club before leaving for Los Angeles. 

As a winger, Son was skilled both at scoring and assisting others to score. Son and his former teammate Harry Kane, a striker, worked very well together with the blend of their technical skills. Son had a very impressive career with​​ Tottenham with his goals and assists. In the 2016–2017 season, he had 14 goals and six assists. In the 2020–21 and the 2023–24 seasons, he had 17 goals each. In the 2021–22 season, he had reached 23 goals and seven assists. In his entire career with the Premier League, he had 127 goals and 71 assists.  

Considering the lack of many South Korean professional soccer players, Son is viewed as a national pride in South Korea for his immense success and contributions to his country. Son also increased South Korean Spurs views and has created new attention to soccer in South Korea. Tottenham fans have speculated (and are hoping) that he may return to the club for a short loan. Although this has been mentioned in the soccer community, it is also highly unlikely considering his commitment to the MLS and his demanding schedule. Although fans are upset about his absence, the Spurs fans are following his success from afar. It will be interesting to observe the next page for Son and watch him continue his amazing career in the U.S.