“Biggest mistake of my life” – Son Heung-min eyes Liverpool again after rejecting Jurgen Klopp

Tottenham forward Heung-Min Son has a remarkable scoring record against Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, who has made no secret of his admiration for the South Korean

Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur laughs with Juergen Klopp, Manager of Liverpool after the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 19, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)

ByTheo Squires
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As Liverpool prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, they have several reasons to be cautious. However, a midweek reminder showed that the north London team has lost their biggest threat.

Harry Kane, who scored his 43rd goal in as many matches since his move to Germany last summer, netted a penalty in Bayern Munich’s 2-2 Champions League semi-final first-leg draw at home to Real Madrid.

Liverpool were likely relieved to see Kane leave. He scored nine goals in 16 appearances against them for Tottenham and, despite only winning one of those games, he was always a significant threat when the two sides clashed. However, Kane wasn’t the only concern, and the Reds might be just as anxious about Kane’s former partner in crime, the consistently impressive Son Heung-Min.

Son, often considered one of the Premier League ‘s nicest players, still gives Liverpool and their outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp reason to dread facing him. After all, the South Korean forward has scored five goals in his last six Premier League appearances against the Reds, and six in 14 appearances in total for Spurs. He also scored five goals from five starts against Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund.

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While Son remained unbeaten when starting against the German boss in the Bundesliga during his time with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, his encounters with the Reds tell a different story.

He has only tasted victory against Liverpool twice in his career, with the memorable 4-1 win at Wembley in October 2017 and a contentious 2-1 home triumph last September, both games in which he found the back of the net.

“I will be prepared for the best possible Tottenham side,” the Liverpool boss told reporters ahead of last season’s clash with Spurs. “They were, for some years, by some distance the best counter-attacking team in Europe.

Son has a fine goalscoring record against Liverpool ( Image: PA)
“There were moments when you lost the ball, they only had to find Harry Kane and the next moment Son was in a one v one situation with the goalie. No clue how to defend that properly, best way not to lose the ball.”

So, it’s hardly surprising that Klopp wishes he had signed Son earlier in his career.

“One of the biggest mistakes in my life is not signing Son Heung-min,” he confessed to Korean outlet KBS News in November 2021. “Outstanding player. He is fantastic, a sign of Korean football and one of the best strikers in the world.”

Klopp missed out on signing Son for Dortmund back in 2013, with the South Korean superstar choosing a €10m move to Leverkusen over the Bundesliga giants. Reflecting on his choice, Son said: “I wanted to stay in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen and Dortmund wanted me,” adding, “Both teams play in the Champions League but I thought Dortmund would use rotation more than Leverkusen.”

Son Heung-min shone for Leverkusen in Germany
Klopp has always been a fan of the South Korean ( Image: Offside via Getty Images)
He justified his decision by stressing the importance of regular playing time, saying, “That’s why I chose Leverkusen over Dortmund. It’s really important to play regularly at my age.”

After netting 29 goals in two seasons with Leverkusen, Son made a £22m switch to Tottenham, coinciding with Klopp’s departure from German football. Now hailed as a Spurs legend, Son has racked up an impressive 161 goals in 403 appearances over nine seasons, albeit without silverware.

Despite Klopp’s long-standing interest in Son, Liverpool have only occasionally been linked with him. With Klopp leaving Anfield this summer and Son now 31, any potential transfer seems increasingly unlikely.