Son Heung-min vows to progress further after Asiad gold

Incheon   :  South Korean forward Son Heung-min said on Monday that he will make further progress in his football career after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games.

The Tottenham Hotspur star returned to a hero's welcome with his teammates at Incheon International Airport, with hundreds of fans waiting to greet the gold medallists at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in Indonesia, reports Yonhap news agency.

"It was my first time winning a competition," Son told reporters at the airport. "I'm happy and thankful that I won with the South Korean jersey. I hope I can have more moments that I can smile at in the end."

South Korea defeated Japan 2-1 in extra time to defend their Asiad men's football title. Son assisted both Lee Seung-woo's and Hwang Hee-chan's goals at Pakansari Stadium in Cibinong, south of Jakarta, to help in South Korea's precious win.

"I can remember every single match like they happened yesterday," he said. "There were good results and bad results. But all of them are precious moments that I don't want to forget."

The 26-year-old was one of the three overage players on the under-23 team and served as captain. U-23 football coach Kim Hak-bum previously said Son was a mentor to young players.

"It was the first time playing a competition as the team captain, so I was concerned," he said. "But Hwang Ui-jo and other players helped me a lot. On the pitch, I felt more responsibility as captain."

Son said he learned many things from the tournament and that will make him become a better player.

"We had a tight schedule, and it was the first time since my middle or high school days that I played that many matches in such a short period of time," he said. 

"But I learned many things. Although I was physically tired, I tried not to show it to my teammates, and I always worked hard to sacrifice for the team. The players followed me, and that's why we got a good result."