Heung-min Son apologises to Tottenham Hotspur ahead of Asian games duty

Tottenham Hotspur forward Heung-min Son has issued an apology to the north London club as he is expected to miss at least three Premier League games due to Asian games duty. The 26-year-old has been selected by South Korea in the overage category for the games in Indonesia and he is supposedly keen on getting a medal to avoid the mandatory military service.

In a report covered by ESPN FC, Son admitted that he feels guilty of leaving Spurs at the start of the campaign but he has no other choice than to represent his nation at the games, he said: “I feel sorry because Tottenham is my team and I feel very sorry to be leaving my teammates. I am playing for my country and that is also important, but honestly, I feel very sorry about that. That is what I feel.”

According to South Korean rules, a healthy male citizen is required to complete a 21-month mandatory service before the age of 28 but Son can manage to bypass the step by picking up a medal at the Asian games. As such, Spurs are prepared to part ways with the attacker shortly after the season opener against Newcastle United and the South Korean may only return to the squad following the international break.

As a means of compensation, South Korea have agreed to exclude Son from the friendlies in November whilst he is also likely to miss the matches against the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan during the group stage of the AFC Cup in January 2019. Meanwhile, Spurs have created some unwanted history after failing to pursue a single recruit this summer. The north London outfit have therefore become the first club to not make a signing during the summer transfer window since the system first came to existence in 2003.