Tottenham Hotspur captain Heung-Min Son has announced his decision to leave the club after a decade of service.
The South Korean forward captained Spurs to victory in the UEFA Europa League final win over Manchester United in May, ending a 17-year trophy drought.
Read this: Johnson goal hands Spurs Europa League win
Son, 33, joined the North London club from German side Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and will bid farewell to Spurs supporters after the friendly match against Newcastle United on Sunday, concluding their preseason tour of Asia.
He has 173 goals and 101 assists in all competitions for Tottenham, including 127 goals and 27 assists in 333 appearances in the English Premier League.
Speaking in the prematch conference ahead of the clash against the Magpies, Son opened up about his departure, revealing it was a ‘tough decision’.
“I came to north London as a kid – a very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English,” Son said in an emotional statement.
“Leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment. I have decided to leave the club this summer. Respectfully the club is helping me with this decision.
It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. Such amazing memories. It was so hard to make the decision”, he continued.
The 33-year-old became the first Asian player to win the English golden boot in 2023, sharing the award with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah with 23 goals.
Son, who became club captain in 2023 following the departure of Hugo Lloris, is fourth on Spurs’ all-time goalscoring charts and has made the sixth most appearances in the club’s history.
“I need a new environment to push myself, I need a little bit of change – 10 years is a long time”, the South Korean winger added.
“I want to say thank you to all the Spurs fans for giving me so much love, I hope the goodbye is also good timing and this is the right time to make that decision and I hope everyone can accept that and respect that.”
Tottenham Hotspur face league rivals Newcastle United in the final match of their Asian preseason tour on Sunday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
One Response