Son Heung-min made most appearances among S. Korean footballers in 2016: KFA

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) — Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min has made the most appearances among South Korean footballers in 2016, the sport’s national governing body said Thursday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said it compiled the number of matches that South Korean footballers played this year and Son topped the list by making 57 appearances in all competitions, including the English Premier League (EPL) and Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.

The KFA said Son played 32 matches at the EPL this year which includes his latest performance against Southampton on Wednesday. The 24-year-old forward bagged his sixth league goal of the season in Tottenham’s 4-1 victory over Southampton in away. The north London club’s next match is against Watford on Jan. 1, 2017.

Son also featured in four English Football Association (FA) Cup matches and six UEFA Champions League matches. He also displayed his skills in three UEFA Europa League matches and two friendly matches for Tottenham this year, according to the KFA.

For South Korea, the former Bayer Leverkusen man made six appearances in 2016. He also played four matches at the Rio Games where the country reached the quarterfinals.

The KFA said Son has played 22 matches in full time and bagged 14 goals total this year.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors midfielder Lee Jae-sung was the second busiest South Korean footballer by making 54 appearances. He played 32 matches at the top-tier K League Classic and one match at the Korean FA Cup.

Lee also took part in 13 matches at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League that Jeonbuk won over Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this month, he featured in two FIFA Club World Cup matches in Japan.

Lee had six international caps this year, helping South Korea stay afloat in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Towering striker Kim Shin-wook was No. 3 on the list with 53 matches followed by his Jeonbuk teammate and goalkeeper Kwoun Sun-tae and Suwon Samsung Bluewings midfielder Kwon Chang-hoon, who both played 52 matches in 2016.

Ko Kwang-min, a midfielder for the K League Classic champions FC Seoul, was No. 5 with 50 matches.

In this file photo taken on Nov. 15, 2016, South Korean forward Son Heung-min (R) reacts after missing a goal opportunity during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers against Uzbekistan at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul.