Underrated. Deceptively good. Dark horse.
These are all positive phrases – being underrated is not a bad thing – but if you’re good enough the chances are you won’t be underrated for too long, and this is very much the case with Tottenham’s Son Heung-min.
The South Korean attacker came into his own during Erik Lamela’s absence from the team last season, emerging as one of Mauricio Pochettino’s most reliable performers.
This break out led to him being labelled as “underrated” by all and sundry, a player whose talents were sneaking under the radar, until it got to the point where literally everyone was saying it.
But as impressive as those performances were, it was during Harry Kane’s now traditional August drought that he really showed his worth for Tottenham, rising to the challenge and scoring crucial goals for a team that needed them.
It’s the versatility though, rather than the quantity of goals, that is particularly impressive. He is best known for his ability to cut in from the left flank, but he can really score from anywhere. Whether it’s a long range strike, a tap in, a precise pass into the corner, or a header, he’s got it all in his arsenal.
This portfolio is complimented by an almost unerring sense of knowing where to be in the box and an admirable ability – much like Harry Kane – to not allow missed opportunities to prevent him from having another go.
That reliability and tenacity hasn’t stopped with the resumption of Kane’s form, with the former Bayer Leverkusen man regularly stepping up to fill in when his more prolific teammate has an off day.
This rise to prominence has also lessened the blow of Dele Alli’s reduced production for Spurs, and his 10 strikes in the league this season have been vital to keeping his team in touch at the top when things appeared to be going by the wayside.
Many players remain underrated throughout their careers, sitting in that cozy spot of doing enough to receive praise but not quite enough to garner it universally.
To Son’s credit, he is not one of those players. Since seizing his chance in this team he has shown that rather than being a utility player who you can throw in to do a job, he is simply a really, really good player.
In fact, outside of the Premier League’s top bracket of players, it’s difficult to think of anyone better.
