New South Korea boss Klinsmann 'felt for Son' at World Cup

Son won last season's Premier League Golden Boot but then struggled through the Qatar World Cup with a facial fracture and has been far from his best this term at Tottenham. As a former Tottenham forward himself and now coach of South Korea, German legend Klinsmann has taken a keen interest in Son's faltering form for club and country.

The 58-year-old told his introductory press conference in Paju, near Seoul: "As a former Tottenham player I watch almost all the games from Tottenham and so I am a big fan of Sonny, there's no doubt.But I think this is a normal period that every player goes through, little ups and downs. I can give him encouragement and the motivation to enjoy himself and whatever role and however he plays on the field," Klinsmann added.

Klinsmann will see the 30-year-old Son when he takes charge of South Korea for the first time with a home friendly against Colombia on March 24th. South Korea reached the last 16 at the Qatar World Cup before being thrashed 4-1 by Brazil, but captain Son never got going at the tournament and wore a face mask to protect his eye socket.

"He had a very difficult World Cup because he wasn't 100 percent healthy," said Klinsmann. "I felt for him." Klinsmann said his new side were "full of hunger and resilience", but added: "I wish there was sometimes more belief, more confidence to actually go even further than you end up going," he said. "This is something hopefully I can help them."

Klinsmann won the World Cup as a player and had a successful career at clubs such as Inter Milan, Tottenham and Bayern. But some South Korean fans have questioned his record as a coach. He took charge of his native Germany in 2004 and led them to third place in the 2006 World Cup on home soil, losing to eventual winners Italy in the semi-finals.

He went on to manage Bayern and the United States. His last coaching job was a 10-week stint in charge of Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga more than three years ago. Klinsmann, who signed a three-and-a-half year contract with the Korea Football Association, wants to win the Asian Cup. "We are only 10 months away from the Asian Cup in Qatar so I need to learn quickly," he said. "I am confident to do that."