When masters meet.

Son Heung-min and Anh Sung-jae appeared on the YouTube channel 'Korean Man' on the 7th (Korean time) to engage in a dinner conversation. During this time, Son Heung-min drew attention by revealing that although he has lived in England for a long time, he still doesn't eat English food very often.

The legend of Korean football, Son Heung-min, started his European career at Hamburger SV youth, gaining early recognition for his exceptional dribbling and lethal finishing. After passing through Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), he entered Tottenham in 2015 and established himself as a world-class player.

Consistently performing well at Tottenham, Son Heung-min led the team's golden era alongside Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, and Harry Kane, and wore the captain's armband in 2023 after all the other players left. He is regarded as a pioneer due to his consistent performance as an Asian player.

Son Heung-min was a key player for the U-17 national team led by coach Lee Kwang-jong, scoring four goals in six matches during the 2008 AFC U-16 Championship, the precursor to the current U-17 Asian Cup, contributing to Korea's runner-up finish. He played a significant role in helping Korea secure a spot in the 2009 U-17 World Cup in Nigeria.

He also excelled in the World Cup, forming a front three with Yun Il-lok (Gangwon FC) and Lee Jong-ho (retired), scoring three goals in five matches, helping the team secure a quarterfinal ticket. In particular, Son Heung-min shook the net with a powerful long-range shot from the right midfield area in the 40th minute of the first half against Nigeria, despite trailing 0-1. His goal was selected as FIFA's Goal of the Day.

Having not grown up in the European youth system, he made transfers abroad based on such performances. Therefore, Son Heung-min is a pioneer who suggests much for Asian football. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) praised him, saying he was the first person to open an era in which Asian talents were recognized as key players in European clubs.

Son Heung-min has recorded a total of 223 goals over 16 seasons as a professional. He scored 20 goals in 78 matches at Hamburger SV, 29 in 87 matches at Bayer Leverkusen, and 173 in 449 matches at Tottenham. Although the team is struggling this season, Son Heung-min himself has been performing well with seven goals and nine assists in the league.

Chef Anh Sung-jae, who appeared with him, became a hot topic last year as a judge on the popular Netflix show 'Culinary Class Wars.' He gained recognition as the owner and chef of 'Mosu,' the only Michelin 3-star restaurant in Korea, serving as a judge alongside CEO Baek Jong-won.

In a video posted on YouTube 'Korean Man,' Son Heung-min and Anh Sung-jae met. Although cooking and football are completely different fields, their meeting, as masters starting in Korea and overcoming challenges abroad to reach the top, led to empathetic and touching conversations that garnered significant attention.

During a meal, the two masters engaged in a discussion while being treated to Korean cuisine by British chefs. Anh Sung-jae, who said it was his first trip to England, asked Son Heung-min what English dishes he liked. Son Heung-min, who joined Tottenham in 2015 and has lived in England for over ten years, shyly revealed, with a smile and in a low voice, "To be honest, I still don't eat English food very often."

While sharing a meal, the two masters talked about their ways of life and motivations. Son Heung-min asked Anh Sung-jae, "Isn't there no correct answer in cooking? It seems similar to football." Anh Sung-jae responded, "Football also really has no right answer. Just because I do this, the opponent doesn't necessarily respond the same way. You have to react while watching the opponent," discussing the similarities between the two different fields of football and cooking.

Anh Sung-jae, who grew up in the United States, shared one of the commonalities of football and cooking, stating, "A chef and a football player are completely different professions. However, in any situation that arises, how you react and respond determines the skill of the chef. Football could be the same."

In this way, Son Heung-min and Anh Sung-jae were delighted to discuss the commonalities between football and cooking. Josh, the channel owner of 'Korean Man,' praised the two masters, saying, "The reason they can empathize with each other is that they both strive and dedicate themselves until they reach a point where they can trust their instincts. There are artistic details within that."

Moreover, Son Heung-min, who grew up in Germany and the UK, and Anh Sung-jae, who grew up in the US, shared common feelings about living abroad. Anh Sung-jae noted, "I really struggled and established myself overseas. That was significant," to which Son Heung-min emphasized, "My parents supported me a lot. Seeing the dedication of my parents, who worked hard with only the heart to realize their son's dream, motivated me."

Football master and culinary master. Through their discussions on motivation and ways of life, both standing at the top brought empathy to many. In fact, this video even reached the trending videos on YouTube. Netizens also showed positive responses, saying, "Both of them are amazing."

[Photo] Captured from YouTube 'Korean Man.'

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