FIFA World Cup 2018: Son Heung-min aims to inspire South Korea

Country: South Korea

Position: Midfielder/Forward

FIFA World Cup Appearances: Debut

When it comes to the FIFA World Cup, the South Korea national football team does not have much to show despite being a competitive team in Asia.

Expect for their fairytale run to the semi-finals in 2002, the Asian powerhouses have done next to nothing of note in their ten appearances at the football extravaganza.

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However, this time, the South Koreans are dreaming of a better show by the Taeguk Warriors and a lot of it is down to their their talisman - Son Hueng-min.

The 25-year old first made the headlines when he single-handedly guided South Korea to the Asian Cup final in 2015.

Although they lost to Australia, his performance caught the eye of a number of international scouts and he soon joined Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen where he became a big hit with the fans.

But it was his move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 which made a super star among the South Korean fans.

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He slowly found his footing in England and in the 2017-18 season, he was one of the major factors behind his team’s success as he scored 18 goals overall.

Currently, he is the biggest football star in South Korea and expectation is quite high among the fans.

South Korea played most of qualifying campaign with a 4-2-3-1 formation and as the main striker, Son went on to score 7 times during the campaign.

But with wingers Lee Chung-yong and Kwon Kyung-won missing the tournament due to injuries, the team may use him as a supporting forward or as a creative midfielder.

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Son can also played alongside Hwang Hee-chan in a two-man attack with the coach opting for a traditional 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2 formation.

The team lacks an out-and-out frontman and as a result, the nation will be depending on their superstar Son Hueng-min to score the crucial goals.