Vietnam defender gets autograph of Son Heung-min after game

Hai could not play at Suwon World Cup Stadium due to injury, but he had a short meeting with South Korean captain Son after the match.

Son, who is also the captain of English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspurs, took photos with Hai and signed his football jersey.

Que Ngoc Hai (L) takes a photo with Son Heung-min after the friendly match between South Korea and Vietnam on October 17, 2023. Photo courtesy of Que Ngoc Hai

To get Son's autograph, Hai asked the language assistant of South Korea team Jang Jae Mo for help. Jang used to work in Vietnam for domestic clubs HAGL and HCMC FC, so he has a good relationship with Vietnam players.

After getting the autograph, Hai sent a photo to his wife and said he would frame the jersey and place it in the living room.

Son Heung-min is one of Hai's biggest football idols. The Vietnamese defender used to imitate Son's trademark camera celebration after scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Malaysia in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

For the friendly with Vietnam, Son played the full match. He had a goal, an assist and a pass that forced defender Vo Minh Trong to score an own goal.

Que Ngoc Hai's jersey with Son Heung-min's autograph. Photo courtesy of Que Ngoc Hai

After the match, many Vietnamese players came to shake hands and expressed their happiness to play against Son - a star they usually only see on television.

Son, 31, is the most successful Asian player in Europe and is regarded as the greatest Asian player of all time. He won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2021-2022 season with 23 goals. This season, Son continued to be on form by scoring six goals, helping Tottenham top the Premier League table with 20 points after eight rounds.