Meet Our New Burberry Ambassador
Son Heung-min
Meet Our New Burberry Ambassador
Son Heung-min
PLAY
Son Heung-min: I wish for them to start football because they really enjoy playing. I personally started my career in football because I loved the sport more than anyone else. I think this passion enabled me to overcome difficulties and gave me the motivation to play football to this day.
I think everyone has their own difficulties. For me, the road was not always pretty. I overcame [difficulties] by always thinking about my dream and the feelings I had when I was a little kid. I replay the scene where I went to my father and told him I want to play football and that I loved playing it. This goes back to my answer to the first question, if you really love football – and never forget that – you will be able to overcome any obstacle and move forward.
Playing for the Korean national football team and for Tottenham are no different in terms of playing style. The big difference though, is that because I am currently the captain for the Korean national football team, I have to think about the whole team as well. I have to do well, and I have to think hard about how my teammates can do better. But other than that, everything else is the same. When I enter any stadium, I always think about how I can make the most of today and the opportunities I have been given.
‘When I was a child, I was excited to just see the soccer ball and followed it wherever it went. That excitement still remains today.’
Actually, I was quite blind to the subject before participating in WFP and was very fortunate to be properly introduced to the programme. After learning the seriousness of global hunger and food shortages, I could not stop [helping] as the situation was more severe than I thought. It’s not right to not help when you know there is a problem out there and you can do something to solve it. I have a feeling that a lot of people are like me – some are not able to help because they are not aware of the problem. So, it’s important that we actively learn about our world. And I believe in the ‘snowball effect’ – when everyone comes together, we will be able to make a huge difference.
The reason why I started playing football was because my father was working as a football coach and I was naturally exposed to the football field and soccer balls. According to my parents, when other kids played with toys, I only played with a soccer ball. After becoming close to the sport, I officially started to play it in my third year of elementary school. I started playing because it was very natural to me, not because I was good at it. And I do not think I play football because I have a special talent at it. However, I can confidently say that I love it more than anyone else. When I was a child, I was excited to just see the soccer ball and followed it wherever it went. That excitement still remains today.