Son Heung-min paused for a few seconds, struggling to say the words that were about to shatter the heart of every Tottenham Hotspur supporter. When Spurs visit South Korea during pre-season, Son always speaks to the local media. He is captain of his country’s national team and probably the most high-profile Asian footballer of all time.

During a decade donning the Tottenham Hotspur uniform, Son made 454 appearances in all championships and scored 173 goals. He closed the 2024/2025 season with a sweet achievement, lifting the UEFA Europa League trophy, Spurs' first major title in the last 17 years, after defeating Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao last May.

An emotional Heung-min Son was in tears as he said goodbye to Tottenham in what is likely to be his last appearance in a Spurs shirt. After announcing he will leave Spurs this summer, Son captained Spurs for the final time as they played Newcastle in a pre-season friendly in his native South Korea.