TOTTENHAM FORWARD SON Heung-min has opened up about the pressure of captaining South Korea at the Asian Games.
Son was the star name in the South Korea squad, having been selected as one of the overage players for the U23 tournament.
South Korea triumphed 2-1 against Japan after extra time in the final, with the squad securing exemption from national service as a result of their success.
And while Son, 26, accepts it was a risk to play in the tournament, potentially losing his Spurs place, he feels it was the right call.
“Honestly, in the final I was a little bit nervous,” Son told BBC Sport.
“At night I couldn’t sleep, I was very nervous. It was a gamble, but I was confident. I was very proud to win this tournament for my country.”
The forward will be spared almost two years of military service after leading South Korea to Asian Games gold .
The defending champions beat Japan 2-1 after extra time in Cibinong at the start of September.
Goals from Lee Seung-woo and Hwang Hee-chan secured the victory that will allow 26-year-old Son to see out his new five-year deal with Spurs.
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