"I can't wait to represent our beautiful country, see you soon" - Tottenham forward Heung-Min Son confirms fitness for 2022 FIFA World Cup
Tottenham forward Heung-Min Son has confirmed that he will be fit to represent South Korea at the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this month.
The 30-year-old has undergone surgery to fix a fractured eye socket, which he suffered during Spurs' 2-1 UEFA Champions League win over Marseille. Doubts were raised over whether the superstar would be fit for the quadrennial showpiece in Qatar, but Son put them to rest by confirming on Instagram that he's going for the World Cup.
The Tottenham and South Korean talisman posted:
"Hi everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you all for the messages of support I have received over the last week. I have read so many of them and truly, truly appreciate you all. In a tough time I received a lot of strength from you!
"Playing for your country at the World Cup is the dream of so many children growing up, just as it was one of mine too. I won't miss this for the world. I can't wait to represent our beautiful country, see you soon."
Son is by far South Korea's most important player as they head into their 11th FIFA World Cup finals. They will look to emulate their incredible run to the semi-finals 20 years ago but are in tough group comprising Uruguay, Ghana and Portugal.
Jurgen Klopp admits not signing Tottenham striker Heung-Min Son was mistake
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp revealed that in 2013, Son moved to Bayer Leverkusen rather than Klopp's Borussia Dortmund. The winger would leave the Bundesliga side two years later to join Tottenham, where he has gone on to become one of the game's elite wingers.
Ahead of Son's third FIFA World Cup appearance, Klopp told South Korean media (as per The Sun) that not signing the player remains one of his biggest regrets:
"One of the big mistakes in my life was that I didn't sign him. Outstanding player. World-class player and one of the best strikers in the world. Yeah, you should be proud."
Son later replied to Klopp:
"I wanted to stay in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen and Dortmund wanted me. Both teams play in the Champions League, but I thought Dortmund would use rotation more than Leverkusen. That's why I chose Leverkusen over Dortmund. It's really important to play regularly at my age."
Son has made nearly 350 appearances for Spurs across competitions, registering 136 goals and 76 assists. That includes five goals and two assists in 19 games this season.