Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seoul: New Korea Republic U-23 national team head coach Kim Bong-gil may call upon Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min (pictured above, left) to spearhead the team's defence of the Asian Games football gold medal.
Son will be one of the three over-aged players in the squad under the right circumstances, said Kim.
Football in the Asian Games is restricted to U-23 teams with each side allowed to register three over-aged players.
"Son is recognised by everyone as the best player," Kim said. "But we still have lots of time left. If conditions are met, I think we can pick him."
Son, a former Bayer Leverkusen man, previously competed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but Korea Republic were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Kim, appointed as head coach on Tuesday, will lead Korea Republic at the AFC U-23 Championship in January, 2018 and then the Asian Games in Indonesia in August.
"I didn't expect to be selected for the job," he said. "I'm still dazed."
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