Son Heung-min and Anh Sung-jae appeared on the YouTube channel 'Korean Men' on the 7th (Korean time) to engage in a mealtime discussion. During this event, Son revealed that even though he has been living in the UK for a long time, he still does not eat British food much, drawing attention.

The legend of South Korean football, Son Heung-min, started his European career at the youth academy of Hamburger SV and was recognized early for his excellent dribbling and lethal finishing. After passing through Bayer Leverkusen, he joined Tottenham in 2015, establishing himself as a top player.

While consistently showing good performances at Tottenham, Son Heung-min led the team's golden era alongside Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, and Harry Kane. In 2023, after all the other players had left, he even wore the captain's armband. As the most consistently performing Asian player, Son is regarded as a trailblazer.

Son Heung-min, a key player in the U-17 national team led by coach Lee Kwang-jong, played a pivotal role in South Korea's runner-up finish at the AFC U-16 Championship, the predecessor of the current U-17 Asian Cup, in 2008, scoring 4 goals in 6 matches. He greatly contributed to South Korea's qualification for the U-17 World Cup in Nigeria in 2009.

He also shined at the World Cup. Forming a trio with Yun Il-lok (Gangwon FC) and Lee Jong-ho (retired), he scored 3 goals in 5 matches, helping the team secure a quarterfinal spot. In particular, Son scored a crucial goal in the quarterfinal match against Nigeria in the 40th minute of the first half, equalizing with a powerful long-range shot from the right midfield area. His goal was also selected as FIFA's goal of the day.

Having not grown up in the European youth system from the start, Son moved abroad based on such performances. Therefore, he is a significant trailblazer for Asian football. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) noted, "He is the first person to open an era where Asian talents are recognized as key players in European clubs."

Son Heung-min recorded a total of 223 goals over 16 seasons as a professional. He scored 20 goals in 78 matches with Hamburger, 29 goals in 87 matches with Leverkusen, and 173 goals in 449 matches with Tottenham. Although the team is struggling this season, Son himself has excelled with 7 goals and 9 assists in the league.

Chef Anh Sung-jae, who appeared with Son Heung-min, gained significant attention for serving as a judge on the hit Netflix show 'Culinary Class Wars' last year. He worked alongside CEO Baek Jong-won as a judge and made a name for himself as the owner chef of the only Michelin three-star restaurant 'Mosu' in South Korea.

In a video released on the YouTube channel 'Korean Men', Son Heung-min and Anh Sung-jae met. Even though cooking and football are entirely different fields, this meeting of masters, who have started in Korea and overcome challenges abroad to stand at the top, led to a conversation filled with empathy and emotion, drawing significant attention.

The two engaged in discussion over a meal, where British chefs treated them to Korean cuisine. Chef Anh Sung-jae, who mentioned it was his first trip to the UK, asked Son Heung-min which British food he liked. Son, who has been living in the UK for nearly 10 years since joining Tottenham in 2015, sheepishly admitted in a low voice, "I actually still don’t eat British food much."

While sharing a meal, the two masters discussed their ways of life and motivations. Son Heung-min asked Anh Sung-jae, "Isn't there no answer in cooking? It seems similar to football." Anh responded, "Football also has no definite answer. Just because I do it as I want does not mean the opponent will do the same. You have to respond based on your opponents."

Anh Sung-jae, who grew up in the U.S., also emphasized one of the commonalities between cooking and football: "Chef and football player are completely different professions. However, the skill of a chef is determined by how they react and respond when situations arise. The same could be true for football."

In this way, Son Heung-min and Anh Sung-jae expressed joy in discussing the similarities between football and cooking. Joshua, the channel chief of Korean Men, praised the two masters, stating, "The reason they can empathize with each other is that they strive, dedicate, focus, and work hard until they can trust their instincts. Artistic details are reflected within that."

Additionally, Son Heung-min, who grew up in Germany and the UK, and Anh Sung-jae, who grew up in the U.S., shared their experiences of living in foreign countries. Anh stated, "I really struggled overseas to establish myself. That was significant." Son also highlighted, "My parents supported me a lot. Seeing my parents working hard to make my dreams come true was motivating for me."

[Photo] Capture from the YouTube channel Korean Men.

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