No, Son Heung-min's dad did not say he needs to leave Spurs

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No, Son Heung-min's dad did not say he needs to leave Spurs

Son Heung-min, right, and his father Son Woong-jung [YONHAP]

Son Heung-min, right, and his father Son Woong-jung [YONHAP]

 
In a widely-quoted interview over the weekend, Son Heung-min's father Son Woong-jung discussed his famous son's recent Premier League Golden Boot win and why he thinks that doesn't mean the Tottenham Hotspur forward should be considered a world-class player.
 
The interview, which focused on the need to constantly improve and never grow complacent, caused a footballing firestorm internationally after the elder Son was misquoted as saying that Son Heung-min shouldn't be considered a world-class player until he plays for one of the world's top clubs.
 
That quote was picked up by some of Britain's biggest newspapers, quickly spinning the story to create headlines like the Mirror's "Son Heung-min's dad tells Tottenham star he needs 'top club' to become 'world class'" and the Express' "Tottenham star Son Heung-min's dad hints transfer is needed to become 'world class'."
 
The Daily Mail said that Son's father "hints he could have to leave Spurs to play 'in one of the world's top clubs'," while even Goal ran with the headline "Spurs star Son told by his own father he needs 'top club' move to become 'world class'."
 
In fact, a more accurate translation of Son Woong-jung's comment — as seen in the Korea JoongAng Daily's translation of the elder Son's interview with affiliate JoongAng Ilbo — is: "I think the standard of being a world-class player is whether you are able to play an integral role as a starting player in any one of the world's best football clubs. If Heung-min can improve 10 percent in every aspect, then maybe."
 
When viewed in full, the meaning of the quote is clear — a world-class player should be versatile enough to slot into the starting lineup at any of the world's top clubs. There is no suggestion that Spurs is not one of those clubs — in fact, the London club isn't actually mentioned — just that a great player should be good enough to play anywhere.
 
If that isn't enough to make it clear that Son Woong-jung is not offering transfer advice, the last words of the interview should hammer the point home: "Whatever league and whatever club Heung-min plays for, for whatever salary, I only wish him to be able to play football happily until he retires and that is also what I tell him all the time. That will never change." 

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]
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