'This is just me' - MLS All-Star Son Heung-min has spent his life in the spotlight, and he's enjoying it now more than ever

Son is well aware of his reputation. “The nice guy,” as MLS All-Star teammate Ashley Westwood calls him. It’s a label that has followed him through a life lived in a spotlight unlike most.

For South Korea, he’s an icon; for Asia, an inspiration. He is arguably the greatest player the region has produced, and that status hasn’t always been easy to carry. This summer offered another reminder.

Son entered the World Cup amid a scoring drought and failed to score as South Korea exited in the group stage. He started the decisive finale on the bench and afterward vowed to do whatever it took to win back the hearts of his people.

There have been glorious moments, too: his success at Tottenham and 56 goals for his country, two shy of Cha Bum-kun’s record. Those successes are why that spotlight has always been so bright.

Eventually, he found that there was only one way to live in that brightness: honestly. For his entire adult life, the world has expected something close to perfection. He was never going to be that, but he could be himself. On and off the field, that has almost always been good enough.

"I'm just me," he says. "I'm not really showing up in a different way. Like we could say fake. It's just that, obviously, not every person is going to like me. Not every person is going to be a fan of mine, but I still try to be myself. I try to be humble. I try to be grateful to the people that always give me support. This is just me. I'm never showing fake in my kind of stuff."

Over time, Son has grown more comfortable letting people see that person. In MLS, that is part of the job: a player of his stature signs not only as a player but as an ambassador. Son has embraced it, seeing each interview as an opportunity to close the distance between himself and his supporters.

"After all the interviews, all the podcasts," he says, "when people see me in a different direction, or people see me in different ways, it makes me happier, because it feels like the distance is a little bit closer."

This week, thousands got an even closer look at the LAFC star, and he made that look worth it.

For someone of Son's status, it would be easy to complain about the inconveniences of the MLS All-Star Game. To be fair, there were a few complaints: the travel and timing weren't ideal, he says. More than anything, there was a huge hope that no one would get hurt.

Those frustrations are brief, though. Almost immediately, the smile returns as Son starts thinking out loud about how this particular moment, as weird as it is, makes him feel.

"It's kind of felt like back in the day when I was like 16, you know?" he says. "It's like when you're in a team, or you get a call up with the national team, and a bunch of random guys are just in there in the camp. Then you just have to know each other. Obviously, there are some big, big names here, but it's not different. We are just all the same: human beings."

Son is, of course, the most famous of those human beings in MLS All-Star colors and, when the game did finally kick off after days of buildup, the South Korean star was quick to show why. After seeing the MLS side go behind within the first 10 minutes, Son scored twice in a three-minute span before making way in the 35th minute. For his efforts, he was named the game's top player.

"He's an unbelievable player," All-Star teammate Hany Mukhtar said of his team's MVP. "He's a world-class player for a reason. He shows it every week, and we all know how good he is. We see it in training, and I'm not surprised."

In many ways, All-Star week was mission accomplished. Son got his goals and fans got their show. No one got hurt. Most importantly, it was fun.

"Having this experience is once in a lifetime," he says. "I think it is worth it. I try to enjoy this moment and be grateful, as I always say. Getting invited to this All-Star Game, it's not everyone getting it, so I'm very grateful. I'm having these amazing players next to me, and we're playing together. I think it's a huge honor for me."

For many of Son’s fellow All-Stars, the honor was theirs. Some had faced him before; others were meeting him for the first time. All were eager to finally line up alongside him.

Westwood was happy to be on Son’s side for once. He knew from experience what it was like to face him.

"He scored a goal against us when I was at Burnley," Westwood recalled. "He ran through the whole team."

And then, of course, Son smiled. For opponents, it can be infuriating or disarming. Even those left behind by his mazy runs tend to like him. There is little malice in Son, other than in the strike of the ball that so often produces a highlight-reel goal.

It was why so many MLS All-Stars were eager to know Son better, both as a teammate and a person. Tim Ream, who faced him repeatedly in the Premier League, enjoyed finally lining up alongside him. Thomas Muller, another of the squad’s biggest names, had no shortage of jokes after Son expressed his excitement about playing with the German World Cup winner.

"We always try to say nice things in front of the camera," Muller said with a laugh, "but on Saturday he comes with LAFC to Vancouver. I don't know, maybe he's faking being nice to me!

"His German language is really, really good, and, for sure, he knows a little bit about life in Germany. We talk about the good old times, and also as a type of player, we have a good understanding of each other."

Son, like Muller, took ownership of a leadership role during the All-Star week. When the first training session began with a bit of awkwardness, it was Son who started making jokes to lighten the mood. It was a crucial ice-breaker, one that helped an unfamiliar group of players start their time together on the right foot.

"Listen, when he was in England, he was always the smiling character, the nice guy," Westwood says. "He always had time for you, and he's exactly the same here. He's just him."

At one point during his time with the media, Son was asked if there was anything that he could beat all of his All-Star teammates in. Was there any competition, any game, that he believes he could be the best at?

"Nothing," he says. "I'm bad at everything."

That isn't true, of course. Son is pretty damn good at a lot of things. More than anything, he's pretty good at being who he is. None could do it quite like him, and few are able to do the things he does, on or off the field.

Throughout his time in Charlotte, Son did just about everything. He handled every media obligation, appeared on every billboard, mingled with teammates and competed in the rain-delayed Skills Challenge. Then, when the game arrived, he did what he always does: made a difference.

Behind every obligation, interview and public appearance, there remains something genuine about Son. The stages have changed, but the feeling hasn’t. Charlotte made him feel like a kid again. The truth is, every stage still does.

"I love the ball," he told reporters. "I love the fans, and I love my teammates. From falling in love when I was a child, just chasing the ball, kicking the ball, and celebrating with the boys. I think it's probably what I love most. When I have stress, I always play football. That's why I'm here: I'm enjoying the sport.

"Until the end," he adds. "Until the end, I think, probably, it's the only love that I do."

On Wednesday night, minutes after the final whistle, Son was whisked away while his teammates celebrated. He was already headed back to Los Angeles: on to the next game, the next moment, the next obligation.

They will end someday, but Son isn’t eager for that day to come. As long as the ball is rolling, the smile will remain.

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