Ange Postecoglou suspects the South Korea ping-pong kerfuffle, which left Son Heung-min nursing a dislocated finger, offered a rare glimpse of the hidden steel behind Tottenham's nice-guy captain.
'That's what leadership is all about,' said Spurs boss Postecoglou. 'Leadership is not about being popular and trying to make everybody happy, it's about when you see something that you don't feel is right then you stand up for it because it's the best thing for the group.'
Son returned from international duty at the Asian Cup with the minor injury, which, according to revelations from South Korea this week, happened during a row about table tennis.