Coach Ange Postecoglou's teams are always famous for their strong attacking style, causing high pressure. And that is in line with Son Heung-min. A source involved in the process of recruiting Sonny to Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 told ESPN that "his incredible speed with and without the ball is the key factor in determining Son Heung-min is a suitable signing".
Mauricio Pochettino, appointed Spurs head coach a year earlier, has a similar attacking style of play, requiring high speed and endurance. Pochettino was eager to sign Son Heung-min for his former club Southampton but could not reach a deal.
Meanwhile, sources said the "Roosters" have studied a deal with RB Leipzig for Sadio Mane in 2014, but have disagreed on the terms. Instead, a year later, they moved to Sonny.
Pochettino was replaced by Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, all of whom played defensively before Postecoglou was appointed last summer. However, the demands Postecoglou has placed on Son Heung-min are noteworthy given his sprints per game.
In the previous 3 seasons when Postecoglou arrived, Sonny averaged 19 sprints per game. Last year, in Postecoglou's first campaign, that number increased to 24.5. This is a significant increase for Son Heung-min, especially for a player who has played 35 out of 38 matches. Fatigue is certainly a factor as Spurs' weak squad has played 17 matches throughout December and January.
"Son Heung-min has tried to make a positive impact on everyone, keeping everyone's mind focused in the direction of volume. And that's not easy because he feels tired like the other players.
It's hard to put that aside as an individual, as a leader and try to pass that positivity on to others," Postecoglou said of Son Heung-min.
The Korean has contributed 36% to Tottenham's goals and assists in the Premier League this season. However, that number has decreased compared to the highest level of the 2020-2021 season (40%) and 2021-2022 (43%) when both Son and Harry Kane were an extremely effective pair in front of goal.
Sonny has often been asked to replace Kane as a centre-forward. After the England captain joined Bayern Munich, Son Heung-min took on that role more often. In the 2023-2024 season, 23 of his 34 games have started as a striker.
However, this season, the Korean international has started more as a left winger, making just three appearances as a striker after Tottenham signed Dominic Solanke.
"We have clearly put Son Heung-min in the centre forward position. However, it's based on needs and he's always done very well for us. In a wider position, he was more comfortable," said Postecoglou.
