BoringOldFan
It's better to burn out than to fade away...
- Sep 20, 2005
- 9,955
- 2,498
... is the kind of comment that is usually followed by an invitation from a Spurs fan to meet in a convenient car park for further discussion. However, when it is his father saying it, you have to take notice.
On Saturday 11 June 2022, an extensive interview with Son Woong-Jung, the father in question, was published in Korean by the news outlet The JoonAng (https://n.news.naver.com/article/025/0003201619) Since then, various other outlets have published isolated comments which can be taken out of context.
So here is the full interview that I have translated from the original using various means, including my own estimation of "that is probably what was trying to be said. Hence, the original Korean of "-손 감독님이 보시기에 아들과 호흡이 좋은 케인이 예쁘겠다." got translated as "- In the eyes of Bishop Thorne, his son and Kane with good breathing would be pretty." After reading the answer I thought a better translation was "You must be pleased with the way your son works with Kane?" But sure, go with Bishop Thorne if you want to. And if anyone knows what he meant by "wasn't a walker" - let me know!
So here it is, in all its glory...
On June 11th, we met Son Woong-jung (60), coach of the SON Soccer Academy, at Son Heung-min Sports Park in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do. His son, Heung-min Son, scored 23 goals in the English Premier League in the 2021-22 season to become the top scorer, but his father's thoughts have not changed.
In an interview in 2018 coach Son said, “(Son) Heung-Min is definitely not ‘World Class'”. On the other hand, football legends such as Liverpool striker Michael Owen and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp acknowledge that “Heung-Min Son is clearly world-class.”
When asked, 'Heung-Min Son said he wasn't a walker in the past, is there no change?' Director Son said, "I'm still the same now." When asked about the 'world-class standards', coach Son said, "It's at a level that can survive in the best clubs in the world. He said, “I think it will be possible if Heung-min grows by 10% in all fields.” In the eyes of his father, his son felt that he still had a long way to go, or he emphasised humility because he feared that he would be complacent.
Regarding the moment Son Heung-min became the top scorer in the EPL, coach Son said, "I was just as scared as I was when Heung-min scored his debut goal in Hamburg. There's a saying by the president of a Japanese conglomerate, "The boom is good and the recession is even better". I tell Heung-min about Hosadama (meaning that good things come with many masks). The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley.”
When asked if he cared about his top scorer contender Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) in the final match of the Premier League, Son said, "No. I'll say it again. I didn't want Heung-min to become the top scorer. There is a story I told Heung-min when there were 3 or 4 games left. ‘Hosadama’. “The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley.” It hurts when you go up high and then fall.”
On June 8th, coach Son held the "Son Heung-Min International Youth Friendly Soccer Tournament" in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, the hometown of Son Heung-min. Son Heung-min Sports Park, operated by SON Soccer Academy, has a soccer field and a futsal field covering an area of 71,000 square meters. Son Heung-min's family contributed 17 billion won (around £10.8 million) to the project.
Players under the age of 12 from six countries, including Korea, Colombia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia, participated in this event. Six teams of eight played a full league, and the rankings were not decided. South Korea beat Mongolia and Vietnam on that day and recorded 3 wins and 2 losses. Director Son showed his passion from the bench to guide the children.
- I usually emphasise the basics.
“I decided to hold this contest because I thought that children could enjoy a different experience, a different culture, and enjoy it. If you don't neglect what you should do as a child, you can play a good game as an adult. If you can't take the things you need to fulfill when you're young, you won't be able to achieve a good standard of competitiveness and performance when you become an adult. When you have the basics right, you can be competitive, dominate and enjoy the game.”
- You compared the growth of a soccer player to bamboo.
“I am always careful, I reflect on myself and look back. I still feel the shortcomings. As for Heung-min, I always think about where I can grow by 10% in all my performances. I am living my life with a wish that I only grow 10% more.”
-Heung-Min Son joined the Century Club (100 international games) and became the first Asian in the EPL to be the top scorer, but I think there is a part that needs to be raised by 10%.
“A crisis comes when you say, ‘This is enough.’ You should try to develop further. I don't know if it's correct or not, but I heard that musicians can keep 'sol' when they sound like 'la' when they continue to pronounce doremifasol in succession. I think that we can maintain the current situation by thinking about the situation that is more developed than the present and working hard. That’s why I always dream, think, and imagine a 10% growth.”
- You said before that Son Heung-min is not world-class. Has your view changed?
“I still haven’t changed.”
-Then what is the world class standard?
“World class? I do not know. A level to survive at the best clubs in the world. I personally think that that level is not world-class.”
- What needs to be improved to get there?
“I have an idea that it will be possible if only 10% of all areas grow.”
-If you look at director Son's autobiography, he pushed his son to keep the so-called lungs from blowing in the wind.
“Nothing is permanent. I may look cocky, but I think of it as ‘Hwamu 11 Hong’. "No flowers last more than ten days". Nothing is forever. Heung-min liked soccer when he was young, so he was happy to play, but when he thought about other things, he lost his original motivation. It was the same when Heung-min was in Hamburg when he was 17 or 18. I think temptation is something that gets in the way of the way I want to go. We have to be careful with that part until we retire, and until we end our lives as ordinary people.”
- How did he feel when he became the top scorer?
“I was just as scared as when Heung-Min scored his debut goal in Hamburg. The president of a Japanese conglomerate has a saying. "A boom is good and a recession is even better". I talked to Heung-min about Hosadama: "The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley". There is no law saying that you will have a good harvest next year just because you have had a good harvest this year. You have to prepare for the coming of a famine to survive. Be careful and avoid arrogant situations. So there was fear when the top scorer award came. I thought a recession would be better for the next time than a boom.”
-Did Heung-Min Son become the top scorer in his father's plan?
“When Heung-Min started playing soccer, he never thought about becoming a professional player or what league he would play in. Because Heung-min makes me happy, I am also happy, and I have never thought of anything other than the word happiness.”
-I heard that he removed trophies and awards by emphasising humility. How did you store this Golden Boot?
“The reason Heung-min throws away both the awards and the books I’ve read is because he fears that his initial intentions will be distracted when they catch his eye. He should shine well. Later, when Heung-min retires, there is also the idea of making a small museum and displaying it. When I came in, I decided to bring this award with the fans at the airport and keep it at Heung-min’s house.”
- You must be pleased with the way your son works with Kane?
“It’s not just with Kane. Tottenham were in crisis mid-season, But with the arrival of Conte, the enthusiasm helped Tottenham to qualify for the European Champions League. All the players helped Heung-min with camaraderie, and Heung-min helped several other players. Tottenham are a team where you can feel like a family.”
-I heard that Conte, who is known for his passion, asked Heung-Min Son about his father's passion?
"(laughs). Heung-min usually doesn't talk about what happens at the club, but one day he said it in passing. Conte said he had watched the Tottenham documentary. He said, 'Is it true that you did keepy-uppies without dropping the ball for 4 hours with your older brother, Heung-yoon Son?' Heung-min said that was right, so Conte said, ‘Can you introduce me to your father?'
I heard that from Heung-min.”
-Is there anything you would like Heung-Min Son to achieve before he retires?
"No. I say to Tottenham, any club, any city, before Heung-min retires, ‘run where you want to go and where you want to play’. Except for money; the salary is the least important. "The ideal is to go to the city you want to live in, the club you want to play for, play soccer happily, and then retire,” he says, nothing else matters. It is my earnest wish for my son to play football and retire in this manner.”
-Heung-Min Son is concerned about overuse because of the distance he travels and the number of games he plays. He says that being able to play in the national team is a privilege.
“I think the same thing. Heung-min is far away, but when he joins the national team, he plays happily. Heung-min and I are always thinking about football and happiness on top of that. I never thought of anything else. Because you are still good and happy. The distance traveled is long and it may be overused, but I do it because I want to, and because I like it. I think those parts are easy to overcome.”
-He was competing for the top scorer in the final match against Norwich City. Did you ever care if Salah scored a goal in the other game?
“No, I will say it again. I didn't want Heung-min to become the top scorer. He had a story to tell Heung-min when there were three or four games left. ‘Hosadama'. The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley.” It hurts when you go up high and fall.”
-He scored 2 goals from free kicks in the recent international matches. How did you guide him?
“I never trained him for free kicks. All I had to do is to get him to practice shooting repeatedly in the shooting zone all the time. I never practiced a free kick.”
-Do you have a message for the fans, including those at Chuncheon?
“When I left Chuncheon and Gangwon Province and arrived here, I was going to order Heung-min to thank the fans, but Heung-min already posted a greeting on Instagram. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “Even if you build a fence, you need three stakes.” What can you do alone? Thank you to the people. Soccer fans support us as if it were their jobs, and even if we thank them thousands of times, it won’t be enough, but I want to take this opportunity to thank them again.”
-And what would you say to your son, who has scored two consecutive goals in the recent internationals and is promoting national prestige?
“Soccer is not a game played with a safety net, so there is always the risk of injury, but I want you to continue to play happy games with the things you always have. That’s what I always do and want to do.”
On Saturday 11 June 2022, an extensive interview with Son Woong-Jung, the father in question, was published in Korean by the news outlet The JoonAng (https://n.news.naver.com/article/025/0003201619) Since then, various other outlets have published isolated comments which can be taken out of context.
So here is the full interview that I have translated from the original using various means, including my own estimation of "that is probably what was trying to be said. Hence, the original Korean of "-손 감독님이 보시기에 아들과 호흡이 좋은 케인이 예쁘겠다." got translated as "- In the eyes of Bishop Thorne, his son and Kane with good breathing would be pretty." After reading the answer I thought a better translation was "You must be pleased with the way your son works with Kane?" But sure, go with Bishop Thorne if you want to. And if anyone knows what he meant by "wasn't a walker" - let me know!
So here it is, in all its glory...
On June 11th, we met Son Woong-jung (60), coach of the SON Soccer Academy, at Son Heung-min Sports Park in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do. His son, Heung-min Son, scored 23 goals in the English Premier League in the 2021-22 season to become the top scorer, but his father's thoughts have not changed.
In an interview in 2018 coach Son said, “(Son) Heung-Min is definitely not ‘World Class'”. On the other hand, football legends such as Liverpool striker Michael Owen and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp acknowledge that “Heung-Min Son is clearly world-class.”
When asked, 'Heung-Min Son said he wasn't a walker in the past, is there no change?' Director Son said, "I'm still the same now." When asked about the 'world-class standards', coach Son said, "It's at a level that can survive in the best clubs in the world. He said, “I think it will be possible if Heung-min grows by 10% in all fields.” In the eyes of his father, his son felt that he still had a long way to go, or he emphasised humility because he feared that he would be complacent.
Regarding the moment Son Heung-min became the top scorer in the EPL, coach Son said, "I was just as scared as I was when Heung-min scored his debut goal in Hamburg. There's a saying by the president of a Japanese conglomerate, "The boom is good and the recession is even better". I tell Heung-min about Hosadama (meaning that good things come with many masks). The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley.”
When asked if he cared about his top scorer contender Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) in the final match of the Premier League, Son said, "No. I'll say it again. I didn't want Heung-min to become the top scorer. There is a story I told Heung-min when there were 3 or 4 games left. ‘Hosadama’. “The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley.” It hurts when you go up high and then fall.”
On June 8th, coach Son held the "Son Heung-Min International Youth Friendly Soccer Tournament" in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, the hometown of Son Heung-min. Son Heung-min Sports Park, operated by SON Soccer Academy, has a soccer field and a futsal field covering an area of 71,000 square meters. Son Heung-min's family contributed 17 billion won (around £10.8 million) to the project.
Players under the age of 12 from six countries, including Korea, Colombia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia, participated in this event. Six teams of eight played a full league, and the rankings were not decided. South Korea beat Mongolia and Vietnam on that day and recorded 3 wins and 2 losses. Director Son showed his passion from the bench to guide the children.
- I usually emphasise the basics.
“I decided to hold this contest because I thought that children could enjoy a different experience, a different culture, and enjoy it. If you don't neglect what you should do as a child, you can play a good game as an adult. If you can't take the things you need to fulfill when you're young, you won't be able to achieve a good standard of competitiveness and performance when you become an adult. When you have the basics right, you can be competitive, dominate and enjoy the game.”
- You compared the growth of a soccer player to bamboo.
“I am always careful, I reflect on myself and look back. I still feel the shortcomings. As for Heung-min, I always think about where I can grow by 10% in all my performances. I am living my life with a wish that I only grow 10% more.”
-Heung-Min Son joined the Century Club (100 international games) and became the first Asian in the EPL to be the top scorer, but I think there is a part that needs to be raised by 10%.
“A crisis comes when you say, ‘This is enough.’ You should try to develop further. I don't know if it's correct or not, but I heard that musicians can keep 'sol' when they sound like 'la' when they continue to pronounce doremifasol in succession. I think that we can maintain the current situation by thinking about the situation that is more developed than the present and working hard. That’s why I always dream, think, and imagine a 10% growth.”
- You said before that Son Heung-min is not world-class. Has your view changed?
“I still haven’t changed.”
-Then what is the world class standard?
“World class? I do not know. A level to survive at the best clubs in the world. I personally think that that level is not world-class.”
- What needs to be improved to get there?
“I have an idea that it will be possible if only 10% of all areas grow.”
-If you look at director Son's autobiography, he pushed his son to keep the so-called lungs from blowing in the wind.
“Nothing is permanent. I may look cocky, but I think of it as ‘Hwamu 11 Hong’. "No flowers last more than ten days". Nothing is forever. Heung-min liked soccer when he was young, so he was happy to play, but when he thought about other things, he lost his original motivation. It was the same when Heung-min was in Hamburg when he was 17 or 18. I think temptation is something that gets in the way of the way I want to go. We have to be careful with that part until we retire, and until we end our lives as ordinary people.”
- How did he feel when he became the top scorer?
“I was just as scared as when Heung-Min scored his debut goal in Hamburg. The president of a Japanese conglomerate has a saying. "A boom is good and a recession is even better". I talked to Heung-min about Hosadama: "The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley". There is no law saying that you will have a good harvest next year just because you have had a good harvest this year. You have to prepare for the coming of a famine to survive. Be careful and avoid arrogant situations. So there was fear when the top scorer award came. I thought a recession would be better for the next time than a boom.”
-Did Heung-Min Son become the top scorer in his father's plan?
“When Heung-Min started playing soccer, he never thought about becoming a professional player or what league he would play in. Because Heung-min makes me happy, I am also happy, and I have never thought of anything other than the word happiness.”
-I heard that he removed trophies and awards by emphasising humility. How did you store this Golden Boot?
“The reason Heung-min throws away both the awards and the books I’ve read is because he fears that his initial intentions will be distracted when they catch his eye. He should shine well. Later, when Heung-min retires, there is also the idea of making a small museum and displaying it. When I came in, I decided to bring this award with the fans at the airport and keep it at Heung-min’s house.”
- You must be pleased with the way your son works with Kane?
“It’s not just with Kane. Tottenham were in crisis mid-season, But with the arrival of Conte, the enthusiasm helped Tottenham to qualify for the European Champions League. All the players helped Heung-min with camaraderie, and Heung-min helped several other players. Tottenham are a team where you can feel like a family.”
-I heard that Conte, who is known for his passion, asked Heung-Min Son about his father's passion?
"(laughs). Heung-min usually doesn't talk about what happens at the club, but one day he said it in passing. Conte said he had watched the Tottenham documentary. He said, 'Is it true that you did keepy-uppies without dropping the ball for 4 hours with your older brother, Heung-yoon Son?' Heung-min said that was right, so Conte said, ‘Can you introduce me to your father?'
I heard that from Heung-min.”
-Is there anything you would like Heung-Min Son to achieve before he retires?
"No. I say to Tottenham, any club, any city, before Heung-min retires, ‘run where you want to go and where you want to play’. Except for money; the salary is the least important. "The ideal is to go to the city you want to live in, the club you want to play for, play soccer happily, and then retire,” he says, nothing else matters. It is my earnest wish for my son to play football and retire in this manner.”
-Heung-Min Son is concerned about overuse because of the distance he travels and the number of games he plays. He says that being able to play in the national team is a privilege.
“I think the same thing. Heung-min is far away, but when he joins the national team, he plays happily. Heung-min and I are always thinking about football and happiness on top of that. I never thought of anything else. Because you are still good and happy. The distance traveled is long and it may be overused, but I do it because I want to, and because I like it. I think those parts are easy to overcome.”
-He was competing for the top scorer in the final match against Norwich City. Did you ever care if Salah scored a goal in the other game?
“No, I will say it again. I didn't want Heung-min to become the top scorer. He had a story to tell Heung-min when there were three or four games left. ‘Hosadama'. The higher the mountain, the deeper the valley.” It hurts when you go up high and fall.”
-He scored 2 goals from free kicks in the recent international matches. How did you guide him?
“I never trained him for free kicks. All I had to do is to get him to practice shooting repeatedly in the shooting zone all the time. I never practiced a free kick.”
-Do you have a message for the fans, including those at Chuncheon?
“When I left Chuncheon and Gangwon Province and arrived here, I was going to order Heung-min to thank the fans, but Heung-min already posted a greeting on Instagram. There is a Chinese proverb that says, “Even if you build a fence, you need three stakes.” What can you do alone? Thank you to the people. Soccer fans support us as if it were their jobs, and even if we thank them thousands of times, it won’t be enough, but I want to take this opportunity to thank them again.”
-And what would you say to your son, who has scored two consecutive goals in the recent internationals and is promoting national prestige?
“Soccer is not a game played with a safety net, so there is always the risk of injury, but I want you to continue to play happy games with the things you always have. That’s what I always do and want to do.”
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