Son Heung-Min was destined for a professional football career from a young age. His father was a football player who played for South Korea’s national B team before becoming a manager following his retirement, and it was clear early on in his life that Son had inherited his dad’s talent for the game.
He was in the academy at FC Seoul as a teenager, before, at the age of 16, he made the move to Europe. He landed at the Hamburger SV youth academy, which would be where he would ultimately sign his first professional contract and make his senior debut. He would enjoy five years playing in Germany – three at Hamburger SV and another two at Bayer Leverkusen – making 135 senior appearances for 41 goals and gradually developing his game to the point where the bigger clubs came calling.
