After 10 years with Tottenham, captain Son Heung-min announced yesterday that he plans to leave the English Premier League club.
Son, who helped Spurs win the UEFA Europa League title in May, said it was “the most difficult” decision of his career and added the club was supporting him as he looks to find another team, with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC (LAFC) a possible landing spot.
The 33-year-old South Korea international was to start against Newcastle in their preseason friendly after press time last night in Seoul, in what could be his final match with the team.
Photo: EPA
Son, who scored 173 goals in 454 competitive appearances for Tottenham, opened the news conference by announcing he has “decided to leave this club in this summer” and that Spurs are “helping me to my decisions.”
“I came to north London as a kid, 23 years old, very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English and leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment,” said Son, who fought back tears during his announcement.
“So I just want to say thank you to all of the Spurs fans, that gave me so much love and felt like it was my home. It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made ... but I think it’s the right time to make this decision.”
Asked in Korean about his future playing plans, he said: “I don’t think I have an answer yet.”
He has been heavily linked with a move to LAFC, and there is reported interest from Saudi Arabian clubs.
Son also confirmed in Korean that he would play at the FIFA World Cup next summer in North America.
In May, Son finally won his first title in Europe when Tottenham defeated Manchester United in the Europa League final — the club’s first major trophy since 2008. After that match, he said, “I felt the pressure. I wanted it so badly. It finally happened, and I can sleep easy now.”
Son said that the team’s recent success was a factor in his decision.
“Winning the Europa League made me feel I had achieved everything I could here,” he said. “I need a new environment for a fresh challenge.”
Son had been one of the biggest stars of the Premier League as he and Harry Kane became a formidable attacking partnership. Tottenham reached the UEFA Champions League final in 2019, losing to Liverpool.
After Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich in 2023, Son was made captain by former head coach Ange Postecoglou.
Thomas Frank succeeded Postecoglou in June, and the Danish coach paid tribute to Son on Saturday.
“He is truly a Spurs legend in every aspect,” Frank said. “One of the best players to ever play in the Premier League, in my opinion, as a winger. I think it is probably the perfect timing, going out on a high.”
Son is No. 5 on Tottenham’s all-time goalscoring list, led by Kane (280 goals). Among other stats, Son’s 333 Premier League appearances are the second-most in the club’s history, trailing only French ‘keeper Hugo Lloris (361).
Later in the news conference, Son reiterated he has not decided on his next club, but said that next year’s World Cup is his No. 1 priority for his home country.
“I think I can share more about my future after tomorrow’s game once things become more certain,” he said.
“My most important priority right now is the World Cup. It’s likely to be my last World Cup, and I want to give everything I have in that environment,” he said.
“I want to be able to play football happily, which I think will play the biggest role in my future decisionmaking. I am still trying to organize my thoughts around that,” he added.
The 2025 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Mr Universe Chinese Taipei competition began yesterday at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, with more than 150 athletes showcasing their physiques. It is the first time in 16 years that the IFBB has held a competition in Taiwan, the last being the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. The professional bodybuilding contest is bringing together athletes from Taiwan and 16 other countries, including Malaysia, Japan, the US, France and Mexico. IFBB Chinese Taipei president Hsu An-chin said in an interview yesterday that the event came to Taiwan thanks to his lobbying efforts at last
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Cycling great Marianne Vos won the opening stage of the women’s Tour de France with a brilliant late attack on Saturday. The 38-year-old Dutchwoman overtook her Visma–Lease a Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prevot approaching the line, and then held off Mauritian rider Kim Le Court in the closing meters of a grueling uphill finish. Ferrand-Prevot looked set to win the stage, but the Frenchwoman attacked too early from 600m and could not withstand the late surge from Vos, who punched the air with her left fist as she crossed the line. Moments later, Vos hugged an exhausted-looking Ferrand-Prevot, the Paris-Roubaix winner. “I didn’t know if
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
RSS