Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min has introduced he’ll go away the membership this summer time, bringing to an finish a exceptional 10-year spell in north London.
Son, who’s below contract till 2026, is at the moment in superior talks with Major League Soccer facet Los Angeles FC.
Speaking at a press convention alongside new Spurs head coach Thomas Frank, Son mentioned the choice to go away was “the most difficult” of his profession.
“I came to north London as a kid—a very young boy who didn’t even speak English,” he mentioned. “Leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment.”
Tottenham are at the moment in Seoul for pre-season preparations, and Son is anticipated to begin and captain the facet in opposition to Newcastle United on Sunday. If chosen, it could mark a poetic farewell in his house nation.
Coach Thomas Frank, who succeeded Ange Postecoglou in June, praised Son as “a true Spurs legend” and “one of the greatest players to play in the Premier League.”
“If that’s his last game for Spurs, what a place to do it—in front of his home fans. It could be a beautiful ending,” Frank mentioned.
Although Spurs will face Paris Saint-Germain within the UEFA Super Cup on August 13, it stays unclear whether or not Son will nonetheless be with the squad by then.
Since making his debut in September 2015, Son has left an indelible mark on English soccer. He has made 333 Premier League appearances, scored 127 targets—inserting him joint sixteenth on the league’s all-time high scorers checklist—and supplied 101 assists throughout all competitions.
Son’s on-field chemistry with former teammate Harry Kane was legendary. Together, they set the Premier League file for many aim mixtures between two gamers, with 47. Their 21 mixed targets in the course of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons stays a standout feat.
In 2021-22, Son turned the primary Asian participant to win the Premier League Golden Boot, sharing the honour with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. A yr later, he turned the primary Asian participant to attain 100 targets within the league.
He additionally performed in Tottenham’s 2019 Champions League closing loss to Liverpool and succeeded Hugo Lloris as membership captain in August 2023.
“Winning a European title with Spurs felt like I had achieved everything I possibly could,” Son mentioned. “But I need a new environment to push myself. Ten years is a long time.”
Son’s 71 Premier League assists stay a membership file, and his whole of 454 appearances ranks sixth in Spurs’ historical past—behind solely Cyril Knowles, Pat Jennings, Gary Mabbutt, Steve Perryman, and Glenn Hoddle.
His departure marks the tip of an period, not only for Tottenham, however for the Premier League as nicely.
