Son Heung-Min Looks Forward After Earning Military Exemption
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min has set his sights on future ambitions after South Korea's victory in the Asian Games earned him exemption from military service in his home country.
A 2-1 victory over Japan in the final earned 20 members of the squad exemption from the state mandated 21 months of military service, which all South Korean men must serve before the age of 28.
Son, 26, was the most high-profile player to earn exemption, and he spoke to reporters at Incheon International Airport in Seoul, where hordes of fans waited to greet the victorious athletes.
"I left my club for such a long time," Son said, quoted by ESPN. "As a footballer, this is not the limit of my ambitions. I think what's important is the future, and I'll try to accomplish what people want from me."
A punishing schedule of seven games in 17 days was something that Son has rarely been subjected to in professional football, but he said that the togetherness of the squad helped them to come through.
"It was the first time since my middle or high school days that I played that many matches in such a short period of time," said Son. "But I learned many things."
"Although I was physically tired, I tried not to show it to my teammates, and I always worked hard to sacrifice for the team. The players followed me, and that's why we got a good result."
Son, Jo Hyeon-woo and Hwang Ui-jo will have little time to recover as they will report for senior national team duty on Wednesday, two days before South Korea face Costa Rica in Paulo Bento's first game in charge.
