Son Heung-min has said that the biggest reason he remained at Tottenham was to achieve what others couldn't and win a trophy.
The 32-year-old signed for Tottenham back in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen and has since made 452 appearances for the north London outfit, scoring 173 goals and providing 101 assists. However, silverware has eluded the Premier League Golden Boot winner at club level, with second and third place finishes after two title challenges under Mauricio Pochettino as well as runners-up medals in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.
Now, back from a foot injury that has kept him out of the past seven matches, Son will try once again as the captain of Ange Postecoglou's side when Spurs take on Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao on May 21. There has been plenty of transfer interest in Son over the years but the South Korean star has always remained loyal to Tottenham with the club having no interest in selling him and he explained why he was never seeking to leave.
"We’ve been talking about this for years. The biggest reason I stayed at Tottenham was because I wanted to do something others couldn’t achieve. That’s probably why I’m where I am now. You need all the pieces to complete a puzzle," he told the Korean media at Hotspur Way on Monday.
"I think I’ve gathered all the other pieces to make that puzzle complete. It feels like I’ve been missing that one most important final piece, and I’ve been trying to find it for the past ten years. I really hope I can finally complete the puzzle this time."
On those previous final appearances he added: "I believe I definitely learned something from those failures. Even though the players have changed a lot since we played in the finals, it’s important for me and the more experienced players to share those experiences with the current squad.
"It feels different this time. I really want to win - more than anyone else, I think. So many people are supporting us with the same desperate passion I feel. If we prepare well, I believe we can achieve it.
"For me, every game is special and every game is meaningful, but this game feels like an opportunity that may not come back. I feel it's right to fully focus on this game for that reason. We are all so focused for this final. I am working to return to full match fitness in time for this game and I don't want to have any regrets.
"For the fans back home who want this even more than I do, I really want to bring them a great gift when I return to Korea after the season ends. A gift that will make our Korean fans, Tottenham fans and me very happy."
There is a trend of Tottenham players leaving the club and quickly claiming silverware and it has happened again with Harry Kane and Eric Dier winning the Bundesliga title this week with Bayern Munich. Son has already been in contact with his former strike partner and Spurs' record goalscorer.
"I actually texted Harry Kane and he called me back on a video call! I was really happy to see him happy. He is one of my best friends and to see a former teammate achieve so much, I was delighted for him like he's my family," he said. "With that positive energy I hope he can support Spurs in the game as well so we can achieve a good result like his."