Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino couldn’t help but show his support for Son Heung-min after the winger set up a key goal for South Korea this week.
In their last group game at the World Cup, the Taegeuk Warriors managed to stun Portgual with a last-gasp 2-1 victory that saw them qualify for the next stage of the competition at Uruguay’s expense.
Ricardo Horta had given Portugal an early and expected lead only for Kim Young-gwon to level the scores before the half-hour mark. Then, just when the game looked destined to end all square, Spurs winger Son picked up the ball from deep and went on a brilliant run before eventually setting up Hwang Hee-chan, who slotted home a 91st-minute winner.
In footage shared by the BBC Sport Twitter page, former boss Pochettino can be seen cheering with a big grin on his face when the Tottenham star sets up the pivotal goal, before saying: “Oh my goodness.”
Did Son Heung-min play his best football under Mauricio Pochettino?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Son Heung-min and Spurs…
It actually hasn’t been the best of seasons for Son so far, as he has struggled to find his best form in a Spurs shirt. For instance, in the Premier League, he has scored just three goals.
And at the World Cup with South Korea, he had yet to deliver much of note, having failed to score or pick up an assist in the first two group games. However, he chose the perfect moment to step up and deliver a most crucial contribution against Portugal.
It’s great to see Pochettino still cares so much about a former player, though. Under his old manager, Son scored 75 goals and provided a further 39 assists in 203 games – the most he has ever scored, assisted and played under any boss.