Of late a footage of Tottenham Hotspur winger Heung Min Son refusing to sign a retro jersey have made rounds in social media.
The video depicts a female fan approaching Son with a retro jersey – possibly from the 1990s.
Son’s polite refusal have caught the attention of fans worldwide. In fact, the fan showed no sign of remorse – understanding and respecting the player’s concern.
Fan theories
Seeing the video, fans have come up with various fan theories and suggestions concerning the reason Son might have refused to sign the jersey.
Some suggested that the Spurs winger refused to sign the retro jersey, in light of it being a very precious and expensive one. He is heard telling the fan that he “fears (I) he might ruin the jersey.”
A leader of men on the field, Son has always been in the centre circle of praise from the fans. The man is known for his kind gestures off the field. Fans have talked about the video in social media – where Son is seen refusing to sign the jersey, in a gesture, far from arrogance.
While some have argued that some football fanatics get the jerseys signed only to sell them off at high prices later on and make undue profit from it, others have suggested that it was probably awkward for Son to sign a jersey he has never played in.
A handful of fans have suggested an interesting theory. German coach, Jurgen Klinsmann was given the managerial responsibilities of the South Korean national team in 2023. It was during his tenure that Son fought with his national teammate Lee, while in the camp for the Asia Cup.
Although the two players sorted themselves out later on, football pundits suggest that the brawl exposed Klinsmann’s inability to handle the emotions of players. He was accused of not being able to prevent a fight in the national team.
Klinsmann had also become unpopular amongst the Koreans for refusing to settle down in South Korea, even if it meant a short while. Other committee members of the national camp suggested that Klinsmann never made an effort to watch the players in person in order to identify talent.
Klinsmann was associated with Spurs in the 1994-1995 season. Fans have suggested that the jersey the woman was holding, was from the 1993-1995 period.
Son’s stats speak for himself on the pitch. The Korean winger has scored 12 goals and provided 6 assists in all club competitions this season. In addition, he has also been entrusted with the role of the captain, following Hugo Lloris’ exit from the club.
It is almost as if the fans are sure that there is bound to be some concrete reason for a kind man like Son for refusing his autograph for a fan.
Some have also speculated that the religious man that he is, Son refused to sign the Holsten jersey perhaps in light of Holsten being a brewing company.
