Son Heung-min has announced he’s made the “most difficult decision” of his career to leave Tottenham this summer after ten years with the club. The 33-year-old revealed his departure during Spurs’ pre-season tour in Asia, speaking at a press conference in his hometown of Seoul, South Korea.
“Before we begin, I want to share that I’ve decided to leave the club this summer,” Son said, sitting alongside Tottenham’s new manager Thomas Frank. “The club has been supportive of my choice. This was by far the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make. I have so many incredible memories here, which made it so hard to choose. After a decade, I feel I need a new challenge to push myself. I arrived in north London as a 23-year-old kid and I’m leaving as a grown man – proud of everything we’ve achieved together.”
Frank had hinted in July that Son might be leaving, refusing to confirm whether he would remain as captain. “When a player spends this long at a club, there comes a time for decisions to be made,” Frank had said earlier in pre-season.
Since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, Son scored 173 goals in 454 appearances for Tottenham. His final season saw Spurs finish 17th in the Premier League, though he capped his time at the club by winning the Europa League – his first major trophy – after defeating Manchester United in May’s final.
“Winning in Europe felt like completing everything I could achieve here,” Son reflected. “I spent months thinking about whether I needed a new football environment, going back and forth in my mind.”
Los Angeles FC has shown interest in bringing Son to MLS, having previously signed former Spurs captain Hugo Lloris. There’s currently no known interest from Saudi Arabian clubs. Son featured in three of Tottenham’s four pre-season matches, including Thursday’s friendly win against Arsenal in Hong Kong. He’s expected to captain Spurs in what could be his final appearance against Newcastle in Seoul on Sunday.
Frank praised Son during the press conference: “Personally, I would have loved to work with such an incredible player and person. He’s a true Spurs legend and one of the Premier League’s greatest. Finding the right time to part ways is never easy, but ending on this high note makes it somewhat smoother.”
Son leaves Tottenham with one major trophy but numerous individual honors, including sharing the 2021-22 Premier League Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah. His remarkable solo goal against Burnley earned him FIFA’s Puskás Award in 2020. Despite playing alongside Harry Kane, Son won Tottenham’s Player of the Year three times between 2019-2022. He departs as the club’s fifth-highest goalscorer of all time.
