Son Heung-min sees nat'l football team controversy as blessing in disguise

DOHA, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- Son Heung-min, longtime captain of the men's national football team, said Thursday he saw a silver lining while being mired in controversy over alleged friction with his teammates.

Son spoke on the eve of South Korea's friendly match against Saudi Arabia in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha, on Friday. The match kicks off at 5:30 p.m. local time, or 11:30 p.m. in South Korea.

It will be the first match since South Korea's 2-0 win over Uzbekistan on home soil on Oct. 6. That victory was overshadowed by what transpired in the aftermath, as three international veterans, Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Min-jae, reportedly told the team they would retire from the national team because of their frustration with the team's senior players, namely Son and his fellow 34-year-old, Lee Jae-sung.

Even after rumors of an extended history of rift circulated for weeks, Robert Moreno, the team's caretaker boss, selected all five players for the November match.

Then on Thursday, the five released a joint statement, claiming that they had put aside their differences and they were now ready to move forward.

"The past month or so has not been easy but it gave me an opportunity to talk with my teammates over different things," Son told reporters before a training session at Qatar University. "It was a precious opportunity for us to talk about things that we wanted to say and that needed to be said."

Son declined to get into the specifics of his conversations with his teammates, referring to temporary head coach Robert Moreno's oft-repeated mantra: whatever happens with the team must stay within the team.

"I think this has all been part of the process for us to get better. There is no team in the world that can improve without experiencing some sort of adversity," Son said. "I think we have laid the foundation for us to chase the common goal."

Son, 34, has been captain for just over eight years. When asked if he wanted to take off his armband and shed the pressure that comes with it, Son said, "Of course, I do. But it is not something I can simply choose."

"I think having that kind of weight on my shoulders is a huge honor. It is not offered to everyone," he added. "I am even grateful for this. As long as I am captain, I will try to set a good example for my teammates."

Son let on that he is far from perfect as captain, saying, "I am human."

"I think I am learning every moment," he said. "When I was younger, I learned from the team's veterans. And now, I am trying to learn from younger teammates whenever I can. I am thankful that I have teammates who can tell me where I need to be better."