Tottenham star Heung-min Son felt a responsibility to his fellow professionals to get himself double vaccinated against coronavirus.
While 81 per cent of Premier League players received one dose of the vaccine, according to the last set of figures released by the top flight in October, only 68 per cent took up a second dose.
And the alarming rise in positive tests among players in the past fortnight is thought in no small part to be a result of the large number of anti-vaxxers in dressing-rooms.
Son said: “I’ve vaccinated twice.
“To be honest, I felt I needed it because I didn’t want to infect other players or other people if I had Covid.
“It doesn’t mean that if I get vaccinated I won’t get Covid but the percentages would be a bit lower, so I don’t want to infect other people.
“Also, the rules and the travelling — because I’m not only here in England, I travel to the national team — that is why it was the best option to have it.
“I have not regretted having it and was happy to have my second vaccination.”
In South Korea, Son’s homeland, vaccination take-up has been high, with 81 per cent of the eligible population have received both doses, according to researchers at Our World in Data.
Son added: “It is a personal issue and I respect any decision they make because it is personal.
“In South Korea they had a lot of people vaccinated but also some people didn’t want it.
“But we should listen to how they feel because if we don’t talk we don’t get any answers.
“We should respect any personal issue and people’s minds over the decision.”
Meanwhile, Son reckons he and his team-mates have to shoulder their share of the blame for Harry Kane’s lack of potency at the start of the season.
Kane has managed just one goal in 13 Premier League outings since failing in his bid to leave Tottenham in the summer.
That’s in stark contrast to the 10 he scored in the same number of games at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
His only goal this term came in the 3-2 win against relegation-threatened Newcastle, but strike partner Sonny is adamant that getting his pal scoring again is collective responsibility.
Asked what new boss Antonio Conte was doing to try to get their partnership firing again, Son, who has scored six league goals, including one in each of Tottenham’s last two games, said: “It’s not just myself and Harry that are important.
“It’s really important that we all create chances for him as well.
“It’s not all his fault because we could create more chances for him as a team.
“The gaffer is working on it and we are working too as players.
“When a striker doesn’t score, the team feels we should create more for him.
“I always believe in H, that he can score a goal in any moment of a game and from any position."
