Tottenham's Heung-min Son dismisses concerns over fatigue after hectic summer schedule with South Korea

Returning star | Heung-min Son
Getty Images/Tottenham Hotspur
Joe Krishnan13 September 2018

Tottenham forward Heung-min Son has dismissed concerns over his hectic schedule and claims any suggestion that he is fatigued is "an excuse".

The 26-year-old returned to training on Wednesday after returning from international duty where he won a gold medal at the Asian Games with South Korea, which also ensured he would be exempt from having to do national service.

His participation in the Games means that Son has played eight games in the space of 26 days, combined with a number of long-distance flights in between some of those fixtures, and there are fears that he may require a rest to regain fitness.

However, the Spurs winger says he will not blame poor performances on tiredness and says his summer calendar is no different from previous years.

"I think this summer has been like any other summer, except that I've had to travel a little more," Son said.

"I always tend to play a lot [in summers] and I am not the only one playing many minutes. Fatigue is an excuse.

"When I am playing for my country, there is not a single match that I can take lightly. I am a professional athlete. Especially with the big crowd that we had tonight, there's absolutely no way I could even think about taking it easy.

Photo: REUTERS
REUTERS

"I may play poorly at times, but I'll always try to give my best effort."

With Lucas Moura performing well in his absence for Tottenham, manager Mauricio Pochettino may not risk Son against Liverpool on Saturday.

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But with Champions League clashes against Inter Milan and Barcelona to come, the South Korean is excited to return to action with his club.

"This is just the beginning," he added. "I miss my team. I am happy to be back playing in the Premier League and Champions League. Over the summer, I think I've learned a great deal about football."

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