In a heartfelt message filled with emotion, gratitude and love, Heung-Min Son has signed off from Spurs to end an incredible decade in north London.
Directly addressing you, our adoring supporters, the South Korean star shared a tribute after making one of the ‘most difficult’ decisions of his life to depart the Club for MLS side LAFC on Wednesday evening (6 August).
“Well, to all the Spurs fans. I mean, it’s such a hard decision that I will leave the Spurs family. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made,” said Sonny.
“And, as I said, there’ll be no forever. And I gave [my] all. I know it sounds very surprising. I know it sounds very hard. And, because I gave my all, I feel like I need a new chapter.”
An all-time great, Sonny firmly etched his name into our Club’s history to end the 17-year wait for silverware, captaining the side to victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao. It was his crowning glory and an unforgettable night that brought so much joy to everyone associated with this football club, especially the supporters.
Arriving at 23 years old as a promising attacker from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, the 33-year-old now departs as a Spurs and global icon. Despite his stardom, Sonny’s sense of duty to the badge and humility remains paramount, his words a reminder that even in farewell there is a deep appreciation and love for this club and the fans.
“It was probably one of the hardest decisions I ever made so please don’t be disappointed. I will be disappointed, not seeing you on the pitch,” he continued.
“I will always be in your history books. And Spurs will always be in my heart and Spurs will always be in my family.”
“And as a kid, you welcomed me and as I grew up I’m leaving you but there’s always good timing. I always wanted to leave in a perfect way, [so] that people can think about me in very proud moments and very happy moments. This is the right time to say goodbye.”
Almost 10 years together and countless memorable moments in Lilywhite, his 173 goals place him fifth in our record books, and 454 appearances inside our top 10 of all time. His 127 Premier League goals is the joint-16th highest in the competition's history and is the only Asian player to reach the ‘100 Club’.
Our number seven also went on to claim the Puskas Award in December, 2020, in recognition of his stunning solo strike against Burnley a year earlier before winning the Premier League's Golden Boot in 2021/22, again the first player from Asia to do so.
A modern day great for the Club, it seems fitting that he’ll forever have the moment of scoring the first official goal at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in front of the South Stand to his name. That strike against Crystal Palace adding to a long list of goals in front of our jubilant fanbase as “Nice one, Sonny. Nice one, Son…” frequently reverberated around N17. Precious memories Sonny captured through his iconic frame celebration.
Finishing in true Sonny style, he signed off with love, tears and hope for the future as a modern-day great leaves with a lasting legacy in Lilywhite and a piece of his heart in N17.
“I love you all,” he said, as he wiped away the tears. “Thank you for your amazing support for the 10 years – 10 years is a lot, huh? There was a lot of goals and a lot of good memories.
“Don’t forget, it was one of my hardest decisions. It was a huge honour wearing the Spurs kit. Huge honour playing for you. And, I hope we see each other very, very soon.
“All the best with the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup… I wish you win all these four competitions.
“See you very, very soon. Now we are all crying, but next time when we see each other, I hope everybody is smiling. Thank you so much for your amazing support for 10 years. And, Come On You Spurs!”