Emotional Son Farewell In Seoul Marks Possible End To Spurs Era

SON BIDS FANS GOODBYE IN FINAL HOME GAME

Son Heung-min played what appears to be his final match for Tottenham Hotspur in front of an emotional crowd at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. The 33-year-old forward was substituted in the 65th minute of the pre-season friendly against Newcastle, receiving a heartfelt embrace from teammates, opposition players, and coaching staff before sitting on the bench visibly overwhelmed with emotion.

Spurs players handed him a guard of honour as he exited, after passing the captain’s armband to Ben Davies. The match ended 1-1 but the moment clearly belonged to Son, who has spent a decade at the London club since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 for a then-record £22 million fee for an Asian player.

REACTIONS FROM BOTH CAMPS

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe praised the spontaneous reaction of his team

⁠The reaction was instinctive from my players
⁠That speaks volumes about him
⁠It's not just the talent he has but the way he has carried himself over the years
⁠He's seen as one of the game's great Premier League players

Son, speaking after the match, admitted that his decision to leave Spurs had been the most difficult of his career

⁠I didn't think I was going to cry at first
⁠But after hearing a few words from my teammates, leaving the club I've spent so much time with felt really tough
⁠I felt really really happy playing this match
⁠Thanks to my fans my teammates and also my opponents I've had an unforgettable day
⁠My career is not over yet and I want to continue to bring the fans joy
⁠I know I have more things I want to accomplish as a football player

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank also commented on the intensity of the day

⁠Sometimes in life and football things can be both beautiful and brutal
⁠That's what we got today
⁠It looks like a bad injury for Maddison and then on the other side unbelievable scenes for Son from his team-mates and the respect from the Newcastle players
⁠First we had the walkaround and then the team-mates gathered around and he was emotional
⁠In the changing room it was more of the same
⁠I just said a few things but not much because it's about Sonny
⁠Then he said a few things
⁠It was beautiful

TRANSFER IN VIEW AND FUTURE PLANS

Son is now in advanced talks with MLS side Los Angeles FC and is unlikely to feature in Spurs’ upcoming fixtures against Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain. Frank had earlier noted that playing in South Korea would offer a beautiful ending and confirmed post-match that the move was very close.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Son leaves Spurs as a club legend. He captained them to Europa League victory over Manchester United in May, ending a 17-year trophy drought. Statistically, his influence is undeniable. He has scored 173 goals in all competitions—fifth in Spurs history—and provided 101 assists over 454 appearances.

His 127 Premier League goals tie him for 16th in all-time scoring, and he holds the club record for league assists at 71. In the 2021-22 season, he made history as the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot, sharing it with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Following Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich in 2023, Son filled the attacking gap with 17 league goals and 10 assists in the next season. Although his goal tally dipped last term, he led the team statistically in big chance creation and assists per 90 minutes.

SPURS WITHOUT SON – STATISTICAL IMPACT

Spurs’ performance with Son on the field underlines his importance. They won 42 percent of the 24 league matches he started in 2024-25 but only managed one win from 14 games without him. With him, Spurs averaged 2.1 goals and 1.4 points per game, but just 1.0 goal and 0.4 points in his absence.

With Son likely heading to the United States, attention turns to summer signing Mohamed Kudus, who came on as his substitute and will be among those expected to fill the void.

Brennan Johnson honoured Son by replicating his iconic photo pose celebration after scoring Spurs’ opening goal in the fourth minute. Harvey Barnes later equalised for Newcastle, but for the Seoul crowd, the day was about more than the scoreline, it was a tribute to a modern great whose presence on and off the pitch has left a lasting legacy.