With another five in this season’s group stage by the end of November, that made it nine in 11 Champions League games – one goal more than Lionel Messi in the same period. Small wonder then that the 27-year-old was the highest-ranking Tottenham player in the recent Ballon d’Or vote.

It’s not been all smiles though. At the final whistle of the Champions League final on 1 June, no Spurs player looked more disconsolate. This season there have been more on-field tears, after his challenge on André Gomes in a Premier League fixture left the Everton midfielder with a fracture dislocation of his right ankle. A fresh sadness came with the November departure of Mauricio Pochettino, the manager who “brought the club to the next level”, as Son puts it – and who, moreover, was responsible for enticing him to England from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.  

“Still there is sadness when I speak about him because he brought me here, he made my dream come true,” says Son. “He gave us many, many opportunities to play here [in the] Premier League, Champions League.” It was discussions with Pochettino that eased Son’s anxiety over a difficult first campaign in England, when he only managed to make four 90-minute appearances.

Since then he has flourished. His selfless approach has ensured that he has thrived in several positions across the Spurs attack, most commonly on the left side.Not surprisingly his new manager, José Mourinho, has already declared himself a fan – he even likened him to the great Brazilian Ronaldo after a wonder goal against Burnley in the Premier League, on the same December day that he collected his AFC Player of the Year accolade.

“Before this goal my son calls him Son-aldo and today he was Son-aldo!” said Mourinho after Son had picked up the ball deep in Spurs territory and torn through half the Burnley team to score a goal that was a triumph of speed, directness, balance, composure and calm finishing. “I think it’s a bit lucky as well,” the man himself grinned afterwards. “The pitch was long!”