Son’s European ‘milestone’ shows South Korea strength – FA

Son Heung-min “showcased the strength” of South Korean football to the world by lifting the Europa League trophy with Tottenham, the country’s FA said on Friday.

The 32-year-old forward became the first Asian player to captain a team to a European title when he helped Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao on Wednesday.

Korea Football Association president Chung Mong-gyu said he had “stayed up through the early hours” watching the final and cheering the national team captain to a “historic milestone”.

“This triumph once again showcases the strength of Korean football on the global stage,” Chung wrote in a statement.

“As always, thank you for bringing such big joy and inspiration to the people of our football-loving nation.

“I offer my heartfelt congratulations and look forward to seeing you continue to write new chapters in the history of Korean football.”

Son lifted the trophy — the first of his career — with a South Korean flag wrapped around his waist.

Son joined Spurs from German side Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

He was the Premier League’s joint-top scorer in the 2021-22 season along with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah on 23 goals.

He said after Wednesday’s triumph that he had felt the pressure to deliver Tottenham’s first trophy since 2008 after a number of near misses.

“I wanted it so badly,” said an emotional Son.

“The last seven days I was dreaming about this game every single day. Finally it happened, I can rest easy.”