Son given second Player of the Month award

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur poses with the Player of the Month trophy on Friday. Son became the first player to win the award twice this season. [EPL SCREEN CAPTURE]

The English Premier League (EPL) named Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur April’s Player of the Month on Thursday.

In April, Son scored five goals and recorded one assist in a total of six games to lead the Hotspurs’ six-game winning streak. For the award, Son competed against his teammates, Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen, Manchester United defender Eric Bailly, Chelsea attacker Eden Hazard, Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero and Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke.

Only given eight times a season, the Premier League’s Player of the Month title is considered one of the hardest awards to earn.

Throughout EPL history, only 42 players have won Player of the Month twice in a single season and 18 players have won it three times in a single season. When Son won the award in September, he became the first Asian player to be given the title.

He is the second Tottenham player to win it twice in a season, joining Harry Kane, who completed the feat in the 2014-15.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling - I’m very thankful for the fans who voted for me,” Son said in an interview for the EPL’s official website. “This is not my finish line. I want to keep working hard and win it a third time. I’m still hungry.”

Son made his EPL debut in 2015 with the Hotspur on a five-year contract after playing six seasons in the German Bundesliga ? three seasons with Hamburger SV and three seasons with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

The 2016-17 season has been the best season of Son’s career and he has set multiple records. In March, Son scored his third career hat trick and the first with his current club, becoming the first Korean to do so in the Premier League.

When Son scored his ninth goal against Swansea City in April, he surpassed Swansea midfielder Ki Sung-yueng to become the new single season record holder for an Asian player in the EPL. He has also tied with veteran footballer Cha Bum-keun to become the highest-scoring Korean in a single season in Europe with 19 goals.

In addition to Son, Mauricio Pochettino, manager of Hotspur, was named the Barclays Manager of the Month.

BY SONG JI-HOON [kang.yoorim@joongang.co.kr]