“Condition UP!” Son Heung-min trains without shaving his beard→Samae Kyung→Retargeting the top scorer

Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) 스포츠토토 is focusing on getting his body in top shape ahead of the season.

On April 4 (KST), Son’s club, Tottenham, posted a video of him training indoors with the caption, “He is preparing his body for the weekend,” on their official social media accounts. In the video, Son is seen doing lunges with a rubber band around his waist and raising and lowering his legs on a step box. Lunges are an essential exercise for building lower body strength. Son, who hasn’t shaved his beard and appears to have lost some weight, is obsessed with maintaining the correct posture and breathing.

After scoring 23 league goals in the 2021-2022 season and becoming the first Asian player to lead the EPL in scoring, Son had a tough season last season, including surgical rehabilitation for a broken foot and sports hernia. He scored double-digit points with 10 goals (6 assists) in 36 league games, but it wasn’t enough. The team finished eighth in the league and failed to qualify for European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League. Last year’s World Cup in Qatar was particularly challenging, as he broke a bone in his face (orbital fracture) during a league game. Although he showed great determination and led his team to the round of 16, he was unable to perform at his best in the second half of the tournament due to various adverse factors, including a tight schedule. On top of that, a sports hernia, which is a common problem for athletes who exercise excessively, plagued him throughout the season.

Son Heung-min trains during Tottenham’s pre-season tour. Photo: Tottenham Official Social Media

tSon Heung-min waves to the crowd during Tottenham’s pre-season tour. Photo┃Tottenham official social media

Son Heung-min looks into the air during the Group H match between South Korea and Ghana at the Qatar 2022 World Cup at Al Rayyan Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Sept. 28 (local time). Photo｜Newsis/AP Photo｜Newsis/AP

“Last season’s performance was not my best,” Son said ahead of the preseason in Australia last month, adding that he wants to show his best this season. During the off-season, Son minimized his domestic and international activities to recharge his batteries. He is also looking forward to working with the new Australian coach, Enze Postecoglou. “I was happy when Coach Postecoglou was appointed. Looking back at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, I’m looking forward to playing attacking football.” Postecoglou is no stranger to Asian sentiment and soccer, having led the Australian national team to the top of the Asian Cup. Tottenham are in the midst of a late-season rebuild led by Son Heung-min, who has been heavily linked with a move to German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, the new club of Kim Min-jae, 27.

Heung-min, who has focused on regaining his form this preseason, is expected to play in a friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) at home on June 6 to check his fitness. The EPL kicks off on Sept. 12, with Spurs opening the season away at Brentford on Sept. 13.

Son Heung-min trains with Tottenham teammate James Maddison. Photo┃Tottenham Official Social Media