Son Heung-min recently named his five favourite footballers of all time and included former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United stars.
The South Korean international is one of the most beloved players of his generation, but what about the players that he idolised while growing up?
During an interview with GOAL earlier this year, Son named his five favourite players of all time, in order.
5. Park Ji-sung
For any young football fan growing up in South Korea in the 2000s, Park was one of the most beloved players of his time.
The box-to-box midfielder enjoyed his peak years playing for Man United and won 11 trophies while playing in England, including four league titles.
Towards the tail end of Park’s career, he played four games alongside Son for South Korea, which must’ve been a special moment for the Spurs forward.
“He’s a national hero,” Son said in a separate interview when discussing Park.
“In Korea also they would say he has two hearts. He’s a national hero for me. He’s a good friend of mine.
“He offered to the players from South Korea (the way to play), he gave us hope and the opportunity.
“It’s not easy, you know, he was the first one that played in the Premier League. So I was supporting United, but I can’t now.”
4. Zinedine Zidane
Arguably the best midfielder of all time, it’s no wonder that Zidane was one of Son’s favourite players to watch growing up.
The Frenchman glided across the football pitch and produced countless iconic moments throughout his playing career.
Funnily enough, Zidane himself was reportedly keen to sign Son for Real Madrid in 2021, but the move never ended up materialising.
3. Ronaldinho
The Brazilian playmaker captured the imagination of every single football fan who grew up in the 2000s.
From his silky skills to his iconic look, Ronaldinho was a freak of nature during his peak years at Barcelona.
Capable of winning matches by himself and entertaining the crowd in the process, the Brazilian star really was the full package.
2. Lionel Messi
Son has often spoken highly of Messi and there’s a chance that the pair could meet in the MLS playoffs later this year.
With Son currently being heavily linked with a move to LAFC, he could become one of Messi’s direct rivals in the United States.
Back in 2018-19, the pair faced off against each other for the first time in the Champions League and Messi produced a masterclass display, scoring twice as Barcelona won 4-2 on the night.
While Messi was one of Son’s favourite players to watch growing up, he’s just been pipped to the top spot.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
The debate between Messi and Ronaldo is never-ending, but for Son, his preference lies with the Portuguese superstar.
He’s described Ronaldo as his idol on multiple occasions and has been fortunate enough to play against him on four separate occasions over the years.
“Growing up I was watching Cristiano Ronaldo playing because he was at Manchester United together with Park Ji-sung,” Son told FourFourTwo.
“I watch a lot of YouTube videos of Ronaldo, he is my idol. He is much better than me.”
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