Tottenham Hotspur could lose Heung-Min Son for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. The South Korean striker, aged 25, has yet to perform military service for his country, where the law requires him to do so before the age of 28.
Shining exception desired
The duration of the time to be served varies between 21 and 36 months, depending on the department of the army chosen. One exception to this demand on young men to serve is where they are sport stars, and more specifically, those that who have an exceptional performance at an international competition..
Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur. Michael Steele (Getty Images)
Son, born on July 8, 1992, will turn 28 in 2020, so he would miss the next two seasons if called up by the military. This means that the forward has 3 major international competitions with his national team in which to shine: the World Cup in Russia, the Asian Games (where South Korea must defend the title they won in 2014), and the Asian Cup. The first two tournaments are held this summer, while the Cup will be played in 2019.