Son Heung-min‘s eye for a goal is famous – the Spurs forward was voted to have scored the Premier League goal of the season last week – and he has put that 20/20 vision to good use since he completed his military service in his mother country South Korea.
According to Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the Tottenham Hotspur star scored 10 out of 10 on the shooting range when he finished the three-week military training program top of all 157 trainees and was one of five trainees to receive a prize at the graduation ceremony.
The 27-year-old, captaining his national team, avoided military conscription in 2018 after winning the Asian Games with his country. However, exempt athletes are still required by South Korea’s law to undertake three weeks with the Marine Corps, or four weeks of national service.
A Marine Corps officer told Yonhap that Son received the ‘Pilsung’ prize, one of five types of awards for the best performers. The courses were all judged in a fair, strict manner and his military training officers said that he went through the training faithfully.
After reaching the Champions League final last season, Tottenham Hotspur sacked manager Mauricio Pochettino but his successor Jose Mourinho has yet to revive the club’s fortunes with it eighth in the Premier League as well as out of the Champions League.
Son’s three-week military training program with the Marine Corps, which started on April 20, featured bayonet skills, biological, chemical, and radiological training, first aid training, and individual battle skills, according to Yonhap.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged from 18 to 35 are required to complete at least 21 months of military service.
After scoring 9 goals and recorded 7 assists in the Premier League this season, the Spurs forward also had a top performance in his military training.