‘Hardest decision ever’

Heung-Min Son has left Tottenham after 10 years at the club to join Los Angeles FC for a Major League Soccer record fee of over £20m.

The forward had announced his decision to leave Spurs at a press conference ahead of their pre-season friendly against Newcastle in the player’s native South Korea last Sunday, which was his final game for the club.

Son revealed he made his decision to depart a while ago, but only told a few players. Spurs boss Thomas Frank knew of Son’s decision ahead of their first pre-season game at Reading earlier this month.

The 33-year-old wanted to move to MLS despite renewed interest from Saudi Arabia.

In a post to Spurs fans on Instagram, Son, who has signed an initial two-year deal with LAFC with options for a further two, wrote: “How to find the right words for this? I don’t know. I have been thinking for days. It’s impossible. But here I go.

“It’s time for me to say goodbye to Tottenham Hotspur. My home for the past decade. When I arrived in 2015, I didn’t speak English, I didn’t know London, but you welcomed me with open arms, believed in me, and stood by me through every high and low.

“I was just a boy from Korea with big dreams who was supposed to have no chance. And now, 10 years later, North London is in my heart forever.

“I’ve made friends for life here, had the honour of becoming a godfather here, and had the privilege of captaining our special club here. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this club, which makes this the hardest decision ever.

“I thought if I was ever going to leave, it would have to be on my terms, on the best terms, when our mission had been accomplished together. With pride and honour.”

Son is fourth on the list of Spurs’ all-time record goalscorers – behind only Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Smith.

Son has 173 goals and 101 assists for Spurs in all competitions, including 127 goals and 27 assists in 333 matches in the Premier League.

His last competitive game for the club was the Europa League final win over Manchester United in Bilbao last season.

The winger was a second-half substitute in that match and lifted the trophy after full-time – Spurs’ first major honour since 2008.

‘Son one of Spurs’ greatest players’

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “Sonny is one of the greatest players to ever wear the famous Lilywhite shirt and he has been a joy to watch over the past decade. Not only is he a wonderfully gifted footballer, but he’s also an incredible human being who has touched hearts and inspired people throughout the Club and all over the world.

“The Europa League triumph in Bilbao was a truly magical moment in the Club’s history and Sonny lifting the trophy is a perfect lasting memory from his fantastic decade at Tottenham Hotspur.

“Sonny has given so much to this Club, both on and off the pitch, and for that we are forever grateful. We wish him all the best for the future, and he will always be welcome back at the Club as a beloved and cherished member of our Spurs family.”

Analysis: Son a Spurs and Premier League icon

Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:

Heung-Min Son will go down as one of Tottenham Hotspur’s standout players of the modern era. There is even a fair argument to say he is the standalone Spurs icon of this generation.

Harry Kane may be Spurs’ all-time record goalscorer, but Son will always be remembered as the one who stayed.

Kane gave Spurs fans more goalscoring moments down the years, but Son holds just one moment – the trophy lift in Bilbao – which stands above all in terms of Spurs’ recent history.

And it is worth remembering that many of Kane’s goals came from Son’s assists. Statistically speaking, Son was one-half of the deadliest striker partnership in Premier League history.

Son and Kane set each other up 47 times across 229 games together – no Premier League pair has managed more. The 2020/21 campaign was the highlight of their partnership, with their 14 assists for goals between them the most in a single season.

Thomas Frank described the South Korean as one of the greatest Premier League wingers of all time, and his numbers are definitely up there.

Not only is he fourth on Spurs’ all-time top goalscorers list, but he is 16th on the Premier League’s scorers chart – and one of only 34 players to be in the Premier League 100 goals club.

Since his Premier League debut, only Mohamed Salah has more goal contributions. Son even has more than Kevin De Bruyne in that time, despite the Belgian joining Manchester City in the same summer that Son arrived at Spurs.

All that plus a lovable character that even rivals fans could not argue against, it highlights that Son is not just a Spurs legend, but a Premier League one too.