BBC pundit Phil Neville believes that Tottenham Hotspur winger Heung Min Son will start against Liverpool this weekend.
Spurs will welcome the Reds to Wembley this Saturday in a top-four Premier League clash, and Neville believes that the South Korea international has what it takes to feature in this important fixture.
In the absence of first team figure Dele Alli, Neville reckons that the 26-year-old will replace the red hot Lucas Moura, with three goals in four games, in the starting line-up, operating on the left flank just behind striker Harry Kane.
He claims that the Lilywhites missed “his type of energy” in their recent 2-1 loss to Watford, and added that his style of play will suit big games like the next one with Liverpool.
“I’ve got a feeling that [Son] will play. I really do, because I think when we go into the last performance in the game against Watford, I thought [Spurs] missed his type of energy,” he said in a video on the Premier League website.
“When you talk about big games, and the way Spurs are set up in big games, I think it suits somebody like Son with his energy, his discipline.
“And the fact that he’s coming back from such a really good tournament, winning a tournament, he’s full of confidence. Get him out there. I think [he will leave out] Moura. You’ve got to replace where Dele Alli plays, and that is the key I think.”
OPINION
Son has obviously missed some games due to his participation in the Asian Games, but there is no reason why he cannot start against Liverpool. Even though he is not a proven first choice under boss Mauricio Pochettino, he would make a fantastic impact on Saturday. As Neville pointed out, he should be full of confidence on the back of his tournament win with South Korea, and this is something that Spurs must use to their advantage. Leaving Moura out may lead to some criticism after the ace’s recent form, but Tottenham need that energy in order to succeed at a team like Liverpool. Son is one of the most underrated talents at Tottenham, and sometimes it is easy to forget just how good he has been for them. Nevertheless, hopefully he can break into the first team fold, and show Pochettino why he deserves his place in the line up in the foreseeable future.