Son Heung-min opens up on his career to date
Tottenham star Son Heung-min has opened up about his experiences after a breakthrough season in the English capital.
This season, Son has scored 11 goals and laid on eight assists in 38 games in all competitions, catching the eye of many with his pace and direct running.
However, speaking to 'The Daily Mail', the Koran revealed that his experiences in England haven't always been so positive, with the former Hamburg man having flopped during trials with Balckburn and Portsmouth as a teenager.
"Yeah, I had no friends there, no family with me and I couldn't speak the language," Son explained. "I didn't know a single word. I was on my own and I was scared, you know. It was tough.
"I had a trial at Portsmouth and one at Blackburn, too. They put me in a guest house. But I was a kid and I didn't know anything. So that is my first memory of England and it is a bad one."
His form this season has led to many referring to the 25-year-old as established, but 'Sonny' as he is known isn't getting carried away.
"I try to be but I don't think so," he joked. "Harry (Kane) and Dele (Alli)... I just tell people that I play with them... that's enough for me.
"All I do is practise every day, every session, and hope to learn. Look at Harry. I watch him train and he scores from everywhere, it's ridiculous. I want to be at that level and I have done some OK things.
"I have scored some goals, but that is not everything, is it? Football is more than that."
As a young Asian footballer in the Premier League, it comes as little surprise that Son's idol is former Manchester United man Park Ji-sung.
"I can't compare to Ji," he said. "He is a legend and my idol. They are still so proud of him at home.
"It's difficult for an Asian to play in the Premier League. It still is. And he was the one who did it first so it was even harder for him. I am still hoping to play like him and bring fans like him and have an impact like him but I am not there yet.
"He was here and consistent for seven or eight years. I have to aim for that. He played at a club with Rooney and Ronaldo and Giggs and still got in the team..."
Should he keep up his recent performances, Spurs would be lucky to count on him for seven or eight years.