Tottenham's Son Heung-min celebrates after scoring the 1-0 lead during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium, Britain on Feb. 13. EPA-Yonhap



By John Duerden



South Korea may not have had the best times at the Asian Cup in January but it seems to have been forgotten at the moment as the nation basks in the exploits of Son Heung-min in England. On current form, he is the best player in the English Premier League and a delight to watch.



Son didn't shine in the United Arab Emirates and as Korea exited the tournament at the quarterfinal stage, Tottenham fans welcomed the forward back with open arms. The team is challenging at the top of the English Premier League but lost stars Harry Kane and Dele Ali to injury. Son's earlier than expected return from the Asian Cup has been a real boon.



He was in great form before leaving for the tournament and has been red-hot since returning to England. He has scored 11 goals in his last 12 games, creating five assists in the meantime.



His latest goal was one of the best, though there have been plenty of beautiful strikes. Last Tuesday, Tottenham welcomed Borussia Dortmund to Wembley Stadium in the first leg of their Round of 16 UEFA Champions League.



Goalless at half-time, Son broke free from his marker to volley home to set the team on its way to a fine 3-0 win over the German league leaders in front of over 70,000 fans. A place in the last eight of the world's most prestigious club competition is within reach and with Spurs in this form, there is no reason to fear anyone.



In the English Premier League too, the headlines have all been about the title race between Manchester City and Liverpool but Tottenham is also in the mix, sitting in third place.



Last weekend, Spurs was leading 2-1 against Leicester City but was hanging on for the three points with a few minutes remaining. Then Son collected the ball inside his own half and just started running. He was too fast for the Leicester defenders and his low shot hit the back of the net and secured the victory.



Tottenham has won every single game this season in which Son has scored.



"Next time when Son scores, I go to the dressing room, shower and wait for the game (to end)," Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino said with a smile this week. "Sonny was fantastic again. He translates good energy and his performance in every game is improving."



Arsenal legend Ian Wright said on BBC Radio that Son was so good that he was now worth around $80 million to $90 million. Spurs fans were unhappy that the valuation was so low and they are correct. If any team wants to buy Son, they will have to pay much more than that. Then there are rumors that Spurs will soon offer Son a new contract that will be worth $200,000 a week. It is already being said that, compared to the top players in Europe, of which Son is now one, this is not enough.



That can wait until the summer. Son Heung-min is looking very good indeed. Never has any Korean player, any Asian player, been so feted in Europe.

