Son Makes Emotional Spurs Farewell - How Much Will They Miss Him?

Son Heung-min made an affectional farewell arsenic he played what is expected to beryllium nan last crippled of his Tottenham profession successful beforehand of his adoring location supporters successful Seoul.

The South Korea guardant was embraced by his Spurs team-mates and nan opposing Newcastle players, and they performed a defender of honour erstwhile he was substituted successful nan 65th minute.

Having handed nan captain's armband to Ben Davies, 33-year-old Son was welcomed disconnected nan transportation by nan backroom unit and substitutes earlier he took his spot connected nan bench, resting his caput successful his hands arsenic he fought backmost tears.

Newcastle head Eddie Howe said: "The guidance was instinctive from my players.

"That speaks volumes astir him. It's not conscionable nan talent he has but nan measurement he has carried himself complete nan years.

"He's seen arsenic 1 of nan game's awesome Premier League players."

Son said connected Saturday that he had made "the astir difficult" determination of his profession successful choosing to time off Spurs aft 10 years.

The pre-season friends vanished 1-1 astatine nan Seoul World Cup Stadium.

There was an wounded interest for caller Tottenham head Thomas Frank aft midfielder James Maddison was taken disconnected connected a stretcher only 10 minutes aft coming on.

Frank said: "Sometimes successful life and shot things tin beryllium some beautiful and brutal.

"That's what we sewage today. It looks for illustration a bad wounded (for Maddison) and then, connected nan different side, unbelievable scenes for Son from his team-mates and nan respect from nan Newcastle players.

"First we had nan walkaround and past nan team-mates gathered astir and he was emotional.

"In nan changing room it was much of nan same. I conscionable said a fewer things but not overmuch because it's astir Sonny. Then he said a fewer things. It was beautiful."

Son became nan astir costly Asian signing successful Premier League history erstwhile he joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen for astir £22m successful 2015.

A nine legend, he helped Spurs extremity their 17-year hold for a trophy successful May, captaining them to triumph complete Manchester United successful nan Europa League final.

Son is successful precocious negotiations pinch Major League Soccer (MLS) broadside Los Angeles FC.

Frank, who had said during a property convention connected Saturday that saying goodbye successful South Korea would supply "a beautiful ending" for Son, said aft nan lucifer that it was "very apt Sonny's past crippled because [a move is] very close".

Spurs play Bayern Munich successful Germany connected Thursday and title nan Uefa Super Cup against Paris St-Germain nan pursuing week.

The expectant crowd successful Seoul shouted excitedly whenever Son touched nan ball.

Brennan Johnson paid tribute to Son by copying his ceremony - successful which he mimics taking a photograph - aft he opened nan scoring from nan separator of nan punishment area successful nan 4th minute.

Harvey Barnes equalised earlier half-time, beating keeper Antonin Kinsky astatine his adjacent post.

Son's statistic speak for themselves: 173 goals - nan 5th highest for Spurs - and 101 assists successful 454 games, pinch his 127 Premier League goals nan associated 16th highest successful nan competition's history.

He holds nan Spurs grounds for Premier League assists pinch 71, and successful 2021-22 became nan first Asian subordinate to triumph nan competition's Golden Boot, which he shared pinch Liverpool's Mohamed Salah connected 23 goals.

After Spurs' grounds goalscorer Harry Kane moved to Bayern Munich successful 2023, Son scored 17 goals and recorded 10 assists successful 35 convention games nan pursuing season.

Last play was nan first successful which Son, nan club's three-time subordinate of nan year, grounded to scope double figures for convention goals since his debut run arsenic Spurs vanished 1 spot supra nan relegation zone.

But goals should not beryllium nan only metric by which Son's power is measured.

His 0.38 assists per 90 minutes successful nan convention past word was his champion return yet, arsenic was his 0.68 large chances created per 90 - nan fifth-highest successful nan convention past play of players to play complete 1,000 minute.

Perhaps nan astir telling stats are those which constituent to his effect connected nan remainder of nan team.

Spurs won 42% of nan 24 convention games Son started successful 2024-25, compared to 7% without him, failing to triumph 13 of nan 14 matches without their captain.

Given Spurs averaged 2.1 goals and 1.4 points per crippled pinch Son starting and only 1.0 goals and 0.4 points per crippled successful his absence, Frank will request players to measurement up, including £55m summertime signing Mohamed Kudus, who replaced him connected Sunday.