Tottenham news: Antonio Conte will be thrilled with Heung-min Son reaction as footage emerges – pundit
Noel Whelan has suggested Antonio Conte will be thrilled with Heung-min Son’s reaction to being subbed off for Tottenham in the 3-0 win over Arsenal.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the 29-year-old’s unhappy response to the substitution is exactly what a manager wants to see.
In footage relayed by Sky Sports (12 May), Son was visibly upset at coming off on Thursday.
Conte was videoed hugging the South Korea international at full-time, with both the manager and player smiling.
With Son in the hunt for the Premier League’s golden boot, Whelan admitted he understood the attacker’s frustration.
He suggested Conte would be delighted with his player’s reaction.
Whelan told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “Look, I don’t think it would have bothered Conte. I think it would have pleased Conte, the fact one of his players doesn’t want to come off the field in a north London derby even though they’re 3-0 up.
“Personally for Son, absolutely. He wants the golden boot, he wants the accolade at the end of the season. We saw it with Trent Alexander-Arnold when he came off in the Champions League. The fact that these players want to stay run, work and fight for 93 minutes of the game is commendable.
“That shows hunger and desire. I think that’s a good thing for a manager to see. You could see straight away, at the end of the game, the big hug from Conte. Son was smiling and laughing.”
Prior to Sunday’s game against Burnley, Son had scored 21 goals in the Premier League this season, with Mohamed Salah on 22.
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