“Son Heung-min gave me advice: ‘You’re doing well, study English a lot.’”

Yang Min-hyuk (Gangwon), the “18-year-old striker” who has been one of the hottest names in professional soccer’s K League 1 this season, will switch to Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League (EPL) next January.

Gangwon announced Yang’s move to Tottenham via the club’s YouTube livestream on Jan. 28, and Spurs announced the signing of Yang on social media at the same time.

With the signing, Yang becomes the third South Korean player to join Tottenham, joining Lee Young-pyo and Son Heung-min.

Yang will finish the season with Gangwon before joining Spurs next January.

While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Gangwon’s CEO Kim Byung-ji said, “I understand it’s the highest transfer fee for a Tottenham U18 player. It’s also the highest transfer fee for a Korean player to go directly from Korea to Europe.”

“The official offer letter came from Tottenham on May 20,” Kim said, ”Not only Tottenham, but also teams in the Big 6 tried to sign him. He chose a club he liked and a club where he could grow. Yang Min-hyuk’s idea of Tottenham was clear,” he explained.

Yang Min-hyuk appeared in person on the Gangwon club’s YouTube live stream and revealed his feelings about joining Tottenham.

“I couldn’t believe it when I first heard that Tottenham was going to start negotiations with me. I was happy when the negotiations officially started,” he said.

“When the transfer rumors were going around, I thought that if I opened 토토사이트 순위 my mouth, more strange things would come out, so I kept my mouth shut,” he says, adding, ”I thought it was right to say something when it was official. I didn’t even tell my friends at school.”

Yang Min-hyuk, who underwent a medical with Tottenham in Seoul that evening, said: “I met Son Heung-min and he told me, ‘You’re doing well. Study English a lot. Come and see me,’” he said.

When asked if there was anyone he was grateful to ahead of his move to the big leagues, he said, “Kim Byung-ji gave me the opportunity to participate in the winter training camp. Manager Yoon Jung-hwan also gave me consistent playing time, and from then on, I was able to do well with confidence,” he emphasized.

“Above all, I think we need to stick to the task at hand. I’m focusing on soccer and doing my best to play well,” he said.

“I’m proud that the fans voted me ‘Couple Youngple’,” he said, adding, ”I hope it will be an opportunity to showcase myself in a better light as I’m participating in Team K League 1 on the 31st against Tottenham in the first game of the Coupang Play Series.”

When asked what he hopes to achieve in the K League 1 this season, Yang Min-hyuk said, “I will challenge for the championship. I think it’s possible,” he said, adding, ”I personally want to win the MVP or Young Player award.”

As for his peers, he says, “I think if you work hard, opportunities are equalized. It’s important to seize the opportunity when it comes. If you don’t lose confidence, you can do well enough.”

“I was given a great opportunity to join Tottenham,” Yang said to the fans, ”and I will show my best for the rest of my career.”