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Alvino Hanafi

Son Heung-min reveals how watching SpongeBob helped him learn German at Hamburg

H. Son
Los Angeles FC
Hamburger SV
Bayer Leverkusen
Bundesliga

Son Heung-min has opened up about his journey from South Korea to Europe as a teenager. Appearing on The Late Run podcast, the forward recalled moving to Hamburg at 16 and using animated television show SpongeBob SquarePants to learn the German language.

  • Son reflects on early European move

    Former Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min opened up about his early career struggles after leaving South Korea for Hamburg as a teenager. Speaking on The Late Run podcast, the forward discussed the culture shock and isolation of moving across the world at 16.

    Son nearly rejected the path that eventually led to his MLS move to LAFC, admitting years of persistence from the American club changed his mind.

    However, adapting to life in Germany proved to be his steepest learning curve.

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  • FBL-GER-BUNDESLIGA-LEVERKUSEN-TEAM-PRESENTATIONAFP

    SpongeBob provided breakthrough in German

    Addressing rumors about his language learning, Son confirmed that watching SpongeBob SquarePants was his main tool for mastering German. He recalled staring at the screen continuously despite the characters speaking too fast for a beginner to follow initially.

    The animated show provided visual context that helped him piece together vocabulary word by word.

    "That's so true," Son said when asked about the cartoon. "As a cartoon I think they speak so fast I couldn't understand first, but I was still watching the picture of it and trying to understand in my mind."


  • Sacrifice and discipline built career foundation

    Son admitted that being away from his family at such a young age was the most difficult challenge of his life. Despite the loneliness and complete change in food and environment, the discipline gained in Germany laid the foundation for his success at Spurs.

    Looking back, the South Korea international insists the sacrifices were necessary to achieve his dreams.

    "Away from my family at 16 years, it was really, really tough," Son admitted. "But now when I'm thinking about it, it was worth it. I speak German, I learned the culture, so it was worth having this tough time."

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    Spurs memories and GOAT verdict

    Beyond his early days in Germany, Son revisited his peak years at Tottenham Hotspur, reflecting on the 2019 Champions League final run, his partnership with Harry Kane, and watching Dele Alli's decline.

    When asked to name his idol in the eternal GOAT debate, Son picked Cristiano Ronaldo, while acknowledging Lionel Messi's greatness.

    Now enjoying life in America, Son expressed surprise at filling NFL-sized stadiums weekly as he continues his career in MLS.