Yang Min-hyuk should take heed of Son Heung-min’s advice, remembering the failures of China’s Dongfangzhou and Japan’s Ryo Miyauichi.
The two players who entered the Premier League (PL) at a young age and failed miserably are precedents that Yang, who is set to join Tottenham Hotspur in the winter, should keep in mind as he transitions to the end of his soccer career.
Son Heung-min’s advice to Yang Min-hyuk is garnering attention.
In a recent interview with the YouTube channel “Man in Blazer,” Son Heung-min gave Yang a warning. He emphasized that the PL is the best league in the world and that Yang must keep everything in perfect condition to compete consistently in the PL.
When asked for advice for Yang Min-hyuk, Son Heung-min said, “It’s going to be tough. It’s not easy to play in the PL. You have to be prepared linguistically, culturally, and physically,” he said.
He continued, “I’m away from my family, but everything has to be perfect to be the best player. I don’t want Yang Min-hyuk to be scared by this, but I want to give him a realistic warning,” he continued, offering some serious advice for the youngster who will be playing in the PL after him.
“I think this warning will help him,” Son said, ”I think he’s doing well in the K-League right now, but there are young players here (in the PL) who are trying to fight for a spot every day. They will try to take positions from each other,” he added.
As for Yang Min-hyuk being called the ‘next Son Heung-min’ or ‘Son of Son’, he smiled and said, “I’m still here,” but added, “I will help him become the best of his generation, but I don’t plan to give him 100% of my place. I’m not going to let him take over my position,” he says, noting that at the end of the day, Yang Minhyuk and Son Heungmin are competitors who have to compete on equal footing.
It’s a warning from the big boss that should scare Yang Min-hyuk, who is set to join Tottenham in the winter after the K League season ends. However, Son Heung-min’s strong warnings are all advice that Yang has taken to heart.
The examples of China’s Dongfangzhou and Japan’s Miyauichi, who entered the PL at a younger age than Yang Min-hyuk, show how wary Yang Min-hyuk should be before stepping onto the PL stage.
Dong Fangzhou was recognized as a promising player in China from a young age, and in 2004, he was recruited by English giants Manchester United, then the top club in the PL, to join the club. He was just 19 years old when he donned the United shirt. That’s one year older than Yang Min-hyuk is today.
Of course, there was a lot of speculation that United signed him to target the Chinese market, but it was also argued that they signed him because they saw potential in him. Shortly after joining United, Dong Fangzhou was loaned to Royal Antwerp (Belgium), where he performed well in the Belgian second division in the 2005-06 season, including being the top scorer, but it wasn’t until January 2007 that he returned to United.
But the gap between the Belgian second division and the PL was too great. Earning a first-team spot at United, one of the top clubs of the era, was out of the question for Dong, who was in his early 20s. He even started a league game against Chelsea in 2006-07, but had one of his worst performances of the season and was never given a chance to play again.
His career quickly went downhill, with his number given to another player and being treated like an “invisible man,” and he eventually left the club out of contract. He later resurfaced with Dalian Shedder in the Chinese League, and had stints with Legia Warsaw (Poland) and Portimonense SC (Portugal), but just like his time at United, his appearances were limited to two or three games.
He returned to the Chinese League in 2012, but his game was in decline. After bouncing around the Chinese League, he was eventually released by Hebei Zhongji in the 2014 season and retired in 2016.
Another bad precedent is the case of Japanese prospect Miyauchi. Considered one of the top prospects in Japan during his time at Chukyo 안전한 파워볼사이트 High School, Miyauchi was spotted by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in 2011 and signed by the Gunners to join the PL.
However, Miyauchi spent most of his Arsenal career on loan at Feyenoord (Netherlands), Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic (England), and FC Twente (Netherlands).
While Miyauchi’s lack of skill was part of the reason he was loaned out, the biggest reason was recurring injuries. In 2012-13 and 2013-14, Miyauchi suffered back-to-back broken fibula injuries, and in 2015-16, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, ending his season prematurely.
Miyauchi’s glassy disposition continued after he left Arsenal. Even after his move to FC St. Pauli in the German Bundesliga, Miyauchi suffered a major injury, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, and then suffered back-to-back anterior cruciate ligament tears in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Now a veteran midfielder in his 30s, Miyauchi has gone from being one of Japan’s top prospects to playing for the Yokohama F. Mariners of Japan’s J-League. In April, he started the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) semifinals against Ulsan HD.
Yang Min-hyuk should take a cue from Dongfangzhou and Miyauchi, and heed the advice of Son Heung-min. Unlike Dongfang Zhou, he needs to prove himself consistently at his club and avoid injuries like Miyauchi to have a long career in the PL like Son did.
In fact, Son Heung-min has been a consistent starter for Tottenham since joining the club. He hasn’t suffered any major injuries in his career, such as a ruptured ACL, and his performances have only gotten better as he has adapted to the league. This proves that taking care of your body is an important part of being a professional athlete.
Before he joins Tottenham in the winter, he”ll have to prepare both physically and mentally.
When Yang Min-hyuk met with the press after the friendly against Tottenham at Seoul World Cup Stadium last month and was asked how he felt about facing Son Heung-min, he said, “I definitely felt that he was good,” adding, “I think I felt that I had to go up to that level. I was most impressed with Son Heung-min, who scored the goal,” he said.
“Tottenham was definitely different. I felt like I wasn’t good enough. I think I need to continue to work harder,” he said, reflecting that he would have to work harder to keep up with Tottenham’s level.