Heung-Min Son reveals what it was like to play with Ruud Van Nistelrooy | OneFootball

Given Heung-Min Son's longevity at Spurs, it does sometimes feel like he's been at the club forever, with the skipper eligible for a testimonial at the end of this season. Whilst nobody thinks he came through the club's youth system, you can sometimes forget that he had a career before he came to Spurs.

Prior to moving to North London in 2015, Son played for two different German sides - Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen. During his time at Hamburg, he got to play with legendary striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy, with the two briefly crossing paths - despite the Dutchman being 16 years his senior - particularly crazy given players had shorter careers back then.

Speaking to TNT Sports, in the same interview where he heaped praise on former partner Harry Kane, the Spurs skipper admitted he was starstruck when he first saw Van Nistelrooy: "“I started [playing for] youth team in Hamburg, I got a first-team call-up when I was 17. I went to the changing room [before the game] really early, [then as] soon as Ruud came and then I just I felt like, I couldn’t believe it.

I was like, shaking, I was sitting in the changing room to be fair, soon as he turned up, I stand up straightaway, I shake his hand and then he says, ‘How are you?’ and then I say, ‘All good’ [stuttering voice] and then I had an unbelievable pre-season.”

Then, the 32-year old explains how he then unfortunately broke his foot during that pre-season, where Van Nistelrooy assured him that the team would wait for his return to full fitness, which left him very emotional: “But unfortunately, I broke my foot and I was in the crutches the next day and we had a team picture, and I’d gone with the crutches and he came to me and said, ‘We’re going to wait for you.’

Then, I started crying because it was so meaningful, the words from a world-class player and world star that talked to me like this.” Son then explained how the striker was like a father figure to him: "He was like, if you need anything, come to me and speak to me and he was so good, he was like my dad, you know? He was giving so much advice and he still had unbelievable quality and I learned so much from him.

He is now the manager at Leicester and then I can’t wait to see him now back!” Well, he will not have to wait long. Spurs host the Foxes as soon as the 26th of January, a game sandwiched in between their final two games of the Europa League group phase. No doubt they will have a nice catch up before and after the game, with hopefully three points for Spurs in between.