It matters that Antonio Rudiger and Son Heung-min play as if they enjoy football
Antonio Rudiger and Son Heung-min play with a style and freedom that reflects their passion for the game. A crucial moment that reflects this occurred during the first half of a Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea last December.
The ball fell to Rudiger and he attempted a shot on goal that ballooned hopelessly over the crossbar, before running impishly back to his correct position. The Chelsea attacker chuckled at himself like a naughty schoolboy, despite his big mistake.
We can all agree that football nowadays takes itself too seriously. A gradual slide over several decades has normalized what we should consider beyond comedy.
Thomas Tuchel still believes Antonio Rudiger will stay at Chelsea. https://t.co/OYvdYmPunb
Modern football needs players like Antonio Rudiger and Son Heung-min
As if UEFA were a country, the Champions League has its own anthem. When teams take to the pitch for Premier League matches, the referee receives the match ball from a ceremonial plinth, almost like an offering to the Gods of Football.
The £200m match takes place as the FA Cup languishes because success is increasingly defined in terms of monetary worth. History, tradition, and continuity have no inherent value, it seems.
When it comes to determining who gets to play elite-level European club football, we're even approaching a tipping point where size matters less than competition. Something has to be thrown at the wealthiest clubs. Otherwise, they might just pick up their ball and go home.
So, in the midst of all this doom and gloom, a player who can take off his mask for a moment, feels like a palate cleanser. Someone who looks as if there is nothing on this planet he would rather be doing than playing football.
Antonio Rudiger's joyous expression was a refreshing change of pace from the self-centered, preening, and gurning expressions that dominate our newspapers and television screens. Son Heung-min is in the same boat as Rudiger.
Son Heung-min’s Premier League goals by season [p90]:
🥇 20/21 - 17 [0.49]
🥈 16/17 - 14 [0.61]
🥉 21/22 - 13 [0.52]*
Only Salah (20) has scored more this campaign. 🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷 https://t.co/rfHp8DGq5g
The pace with which he accelerates with the ball at his feet, the finishing, and his uncanny ability to pick out his strike partner, as if by radar, are all impressive. But it's the extent to which he plays as if he genuinely enjoys the game that truly distinguishes him. It gives him a sense of liberation and excitement when he plays.
When he runs through the defense to catch the ball, the space in front of him opens up, and even his great athleticism has to give way to the style with which it's all put together.
There have always been footballers who were exceptionally talented but had conflicting views about the sport. David Batty is an example that usually comes to mind.
This was due to the fact that his rise to the top of the game occurred at a time when football was regaining popularity for the first time in decades. Yet, it can be delightful to observe.
Gareth Bale may be annoying Real Madrid at the moment, but there's no doubt that he's living his best life. It's not that he dislikes football, it's simply that when he isn't playing, he prefers golf.
And given that he's 32-years-old and has a history of injuries, he's well into the autumn of his playing career. He will probably be quite content with shrugging his shoulders in the face of the Spanish press's outbursts.
However, a footballer who plays the game as though he or she enjoys it will always be a joy. They're one of the most essential links between the team and the fans, and the fans know who they are instinctively.
They're confident enough in themselves to allow themselves to smile. There has long been a perception in football that success necessitates some form of cruelty or physical agony, but this is not the case.
Some players get away with furrowing their brows and blowing their cheeks out like a bull about to fight a matador. It's not like these players aren't well-liked. That degree of dedication is adored by supporters also.
However, players who enjoy the game like Antonio Rudiger, on the other hand, are easily identifiable because we recognize ourselves in them. It's a different type of commitment, but it's still valuable.