Presser points | Spurs vs Qarabag | Heung-Min Son

Heung-Min Son spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon ahead of our UEFA Europa League league phase Matchday 1 against Qarabag at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday evening (8pm UK).

Here's what the skipper had to say...

European dreams

First up, Sonny was asked, as one of our few remaining players from the 2019 Champions League Final, how determined he is to captain the team to a European trophy...

Sonny: "Yeah, it's a dream. There is no hiding this. That's what we work for. Obviously, we are looking for another big competition that everybody wants to win. It's going to be tough, a tough competition, a lot of games and a lot of travelling, which makes it even harder. We've just got to be ready and take it seriously the competition, because it's a massive competition."

Youngsters today...

As captain and one of the more experienced players at the club, Sonny was asked how young players differ now to when he was a young player himself...

Sonny: "When you are young, you don’t realise how massive the responsibility is. But when you’re the oldest player in the squad and you see the young lads, you just want to help them. What this means in the Premier League or playing in these big clubs. It changes so much in ten years’ time. I just want to be good friends, good team-mates and showing I’m doing the right things on and off the pitch. It takes a lot of responsibility but it’s a joy. We have some unbelievable players. Ten years has gone way too fast which sometimes makes me a little bit sad. But what can I say, do the right things, be a good example to every young player to be a top professional."

Mikey Moore

Sonny was asked about Mikey Moore - how good he could be and if Sonny felt a responsibility as captain and a winger to help mentor him?

Sonny: "Yeah, he's a fantastic boy and, obviously, I mean, he's coming from the Academy. As a club, you look after him even more. Everybody is so welcoming and looking after him, so do I, because he's such a lovely kid and working hard every single day, coming with the first team with that age it's not easy, you know, like sometimes you're very shy, but he's showing good personality and working hard, which is very important to me. When you see the young players are working hard in the first team and you just want to help, you just want to help him. When I was young, and now he's coaching at Manchester United, Ruud van Nistelrooy, he was helping me a lot at Hamburg. Now I want to be that guy as well, you know, just having him around me and just talking about things, because we are playing in a similar position, that if I can help him a little bit with advice, then I'm always open to it. Mikey is also coming to me most of the time and asking questions, which is very fun. I enjoy talking to him. He's a fantastic boy and then I'm definitely sure that he can be a fantastic player. There's no doubt because he has such amazing quality. As we always say about young players, don't give him too much pressure on his shoulders, let's enjoy how he develops, how he improves every single day, every single season and, as a fan, as supporters, we should just enjoy watching him and he will be, I think, one of the top players."

Deki Kulusevski

It was put to Sonny that Dejan Kulusevski had explained how he'd had to adapt his game as a winger for Ange Postecoglou's system, so did he have to do the same?

Sonny: "No, I think it's all about the manager's system, and then you just also have to adapt, which is very, very important, but it doesn't mean that I have to stay all the time in the wide areas. Sometimes in the last game I was cutting inside, making these inside runs and when Dom comes into a deep position when he dragged the centre backs out of the position then I'll make the runs into this space. I think it all depends on the situation, but Deki is the kind of guy who wants to be more in the middle so that he can handle the ball really well with his back to the opponent, and I think that's his game and he's a joy. At the moment, he's having a great season. One thing that not everybody is talking about is that Deki's work rate is unbelievable. He's everywhere on the pitch, you know? I think people don't always see that, but works really hard, so hard that I when I see all the data sometimes I get shocked! It feels like he never stops running. I think players all appreciate what he does and, with the ball, with the quality that he has, there is no doubt that every position he can do. I think as a manager, I think he can put him anywhere and he'll do the right thing for what he what he asked to. So, there is no doubt about what he does, and he's doing amazing at the moment."