Sonny: “To be honest, I was emotional, it’s been a tough moment for me”
Sun 18 September 2022, 12:45|
Tottenham Hotspur
Heung-Min Son laid on the line what it meant to open his account for the season in such spectacular style with a hat-trick off the bench in our 6-2 victory against Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday.
Golden Boot winner last term, the Korean star had experienced one of those barren spells all strikers go through at the start of this campaign and, without a goal in our first eight matches, was rotated out of the starting line-up for the first time, with Dejan Kulusevski back in alongside Harry Kane and Richarlison.
In another incredible match against the Foxes - our last 12 meetings in the Premier League have now produced 56 goals, of which we’ve scored 37 – Sonny entered the fray on 59 minutes with us 3-2 up, Rodrigo Bentancur putting us ahead at the start of the second half after we’d gone behind to Youri Tielemans’ penalty, got ahead through Harry Kane and Eric Dier only for James Maddison to level just before half-time.
Sonny then delivered a memorable hat-trick in 13 minutes, 21 seconds. The first, a beauty with his right foot into the top corner from 25 yards, the second just as good, this time with his left foot into the top corner from similar distance and the third, a one-on-one finish initially ruled out for offside, but awarded after a VAR check. That completed the 6-2 scoreline, and an emotional evening for Sonny...
Speaking pitchside on N17 Live, Sonny opened up to presenter Ben Haines and Club commentator Rob Daly...
“To be honest, if you look back at my performances, I wasn’t really happy because obviously the team, performance-wise, I think we could do better but the results have been good. I was happy about that, but for me, some unlucky things, some disappointing finishing, made me sad and unhappy," he said.
“I’m hungry to be at the top of this level, I want to work, which I did, but suddenly the ball doesn’t want to go in... I hit the post, the crossbar, I could score but it’s an own goal (at West Ham), then I scored but VAR, everything was happening. I was thinking, ‘I’m having a bad start’.
“Today (when he scored his first goal), the frustration and disappointment just came out of my body. I couldn’t move. I was looking at the stands and thinking, ‘I’m out of this tunnel’. To be honest, I was emotional, it’s been a tough moment for me. I hope this positive energy comes back into my body and into the team, and then I can bring many positive things to the team, I hope.”
Asked how it felt to come off the bench, a rarity for Sonny over the last few seasons, he replied: “Everyone wants to be on the pitch in the starting XI, that’s normal. You need to show the anger, the disappointment on the pitch. Especially today, it was really tough, especially in the first half, 2-2, ups and downs, then an amazing press from Rodrigo to score the third, really early in the second half, but the game was not finished.
“I came on and I just wanted to help the team. Then, the chance was there, and three amazing, lucky finishes, meant we were looking good. The goals are important, I just want to help the team on the pitch, I’m really happy because I helped the team, and we are at the top of the table."
