Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min on Dec. 5 celebrates after scoring in an English Premier League (EPL) game against Southampton at Wembley Stadium in London. (Tottenham Hotspur)
By Kang Gahui and Hahm Hee-eun
Star striker Son Heung-min has scored his 100th pro goal in Europe, setting a milestone in Korean soccer history.
At London’s Wembley Stadium on Dec. 5, Son’s score in the 55th minute gave his English Premier League (EPL) team, Tottenham Hotspur, a commanding three-goal lead en route to a 3-1 win over Southampton.
Son is just the second Korean player after Cha Bum-kun to record 100 pro goals in Europe. Cha scored 121 times in Germany’s Bundesliga from the late 1970s to the mid-80s.
While playing for the Bundesliga’s Hamburger SV, Son put in his first goal in Europe in October 2010. He tallied 20 goals for the team and was later transferred to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, where he had 29. The forward has registered another 51 for Tottenham since joining the London-based squad in August 2015.
His stellar performance on the pitch has raised his transfer value to an estimated EUR 90 million, according to the Switzerland-based CIES Football Observatory.
kgh89@korea.kr
