Son Heung-min is making waves in England after cleaning up trash on an opponent’s pitch. Even Japan, a country known for its locker room cleanups after games, applauded Son’s good deed.
Heung-min started the 2023-24 Premier League Round 28 away match against Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on Jan. 10 (KST) and scored one goal and provided two assists in a 4-0 victory.
Starting up front, Son set up Brennan Johnson’s goal eight minutes into the second half for a 1-0 lead. He then made it 3-0 in second-half stoppage time, his 14th goal of the season. He also assisted on Timo Werner’s goal to give him his eighth assist of the season.
Football stats site Footmob gave Son Heung-min a 9 rating, the highest in both teams. Son completed 86% of his passes, created two chances, won one dribble, and converted both of his shots on goal, showing off his sharp feet.
He totaled three attacking points against Villa, marking the eighth consecutive season he has surpassed 20 attacking points. He also scored his 159th goal for Tottenham, tying him with legend Cliff Jones for fifth place on the club’s all-time goalscoring list.
But it wasn’t just his performance on the field that made the news, it was also his post-match good deeds. According to The Sun, Son greeted the fans after the game and picked up trash on the field. The local fans were impressed by the cleanliness of the stadium, even though it was the away team”s stadium.
“Son Heung-min stood out after the final whistle. He greeted the Tottenham fans who had come to the stadium and was heading back to the locker room when he noticed a piece of trash that had fallen and instead of leaving it for the cleaners, he picked it up himself.” “Fans were surprised by his humble act of picking up other trash and throwing it away before heading to the tunnel.”
“The Premier League doesn’t deserve Son Heung-min,” “What a great guy,” “I don’t think there’s anyone in soccer who doesn’t like him,” “Literally the friendliest person in soccer,” and more.
The UK’s Sports Bible also commented, “Son was seen picking up trash after the Villa game. The Tottenham captain leads by example.”
It wasn’t just the UK that applauded Son’s good deed, but also Japan, a country known for its locker room cleaning. “Tottenham scored four goals in the second half to win 4-0,” said World Supersoccer. Son Heung-min scored the third goal. But it was what happened after the game that captured the hearts of the fans.” “Son Heung-min picked up the trash on the field and left,” the report said.
“Fans have been praising the Tottenham and South Korea captain. Fans have praised him as a true leader and are talking about how lovely he is and how humble he is, and how hard it is not to like him,” and acknowledged that “there is no player with a better personality than Son Heung-min.”
Meanwhile, Son was named to BBC soccer pundit Crook’s A-League Transfer Team of the Week. Crook picked Son alongside Alejandro Garnacho and Danny Ings in the attacking lineup.
“One goal and two assists says it all,” Crook said of Son Heung-min. From the moment the game started, there could only be one winner. His one-touch finish against Villa was a testament to his versatility. “He not only creates his own goals, but he can also be a fox in the box,” praised Son Heung-min.
“I felt that being named captain of the team this season has made him more of a team player. His assists to Johnson and Werner destroyed Villa,” he said, adding that Son has been playing more for the team since wearing the captain’s armband.
