I even thought about retiring because I cared too much
Son Heung-min confessed why he wanted to retire from the national team.
Son Heung-min drew fans' concerns by leaving a comment that seemed to hint at his retirement after his shocking elimination from the semifinals at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup. At the time, Son said, "I think I will have to think about whether I can continue playing for the national team going forward. The coach may not think about me. I am not sure about the future," directly referring to the possibility of his retirement.
Such remarks have been hard to understand given Son's attitude toward the national team. Immediately after the end of the A-match in March last year, Son even took pride in his social media channel, saying, "Playing for my country is always a pride and an honor to wear the uniform of the Korean national soccer team."
In other words, it was also argued that the remarks on the possibility of retirement indirectly expressed a problem with the current national team's management method.
It was not an emotional comment for one moment. Son again opened his mouth about his retirement remarks after a showdown with Fulham on Thursday last week. At the time, he spoke with such difficulty that he couldn't speak properly.
It is natural for any soccer player to retire after making their debut. I hate to imagine, but one day, Son Heung-min will drop his national flag and retire from a professional team. However, everyone just hopes that the timing will be delayed.
Fortunately, Son made up his mind. "If I had just my personal thoughts, I would have stopped," Son said honestly after the match against Thailand in the third leg of the Asian regional qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North Korea-China World Cup.
"That kind of feeling is right around my corner. I asked a lot of questions and talked to many retired players, and I asked them a lot of advice. I talked a lot with (Park) Ji-sung, (Ki) Sung-yong, and (Ja) Durie. I also asked my father," he said. "As long as I can be fit, as Min-jae said, as long as the Korean national team needs me, I will put my head to the ground." 토토사이트
When he returned to London, he emphasized once again. "I love playing for the national team. I felt that I could no longer give help to the team, and that I could not give any advice to young players. That's why I felt weak. I think I thought too much," Son said on his YouTube channel "Beanyman Sports" on Monday.
"I'm still young, so I need someone to give me some advice. It's one of the biggest parts that the fans were able to continue the national team. I didn't want to disappoint the fans with their great love. I wanted to show how happy I am and how much I love soccer," he added.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min immediately got on the plane to London and returned to his team after playing in an away match in Thailand on Wednesday. Tottenham Hotspur will face off against Luton Town at midnight on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. Son will try his 15th goal of the season.