Four months after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, Son Heung-min finally had a chance to bid a proper goodbye to North London faithful in his old stomping ground, as he delivered an emotional speech before his old club's victory.
Decked out in a gray coat and a black muffler, Son entered the pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to a rousing ovation before the club's UEFA Champions League match against SK Slavia Praha on Tuesday.
It was Son's first appearance at the stadium since he completed a move to Los Angeles Football Club in the Major League Soccer in August. Son played his final match in a Spurs shirt earlier that month in Seoul, a summer exhibition against Newcastle United, and left straight for Los Angeles afterward to begin a new chapter in his career.
Son, 33, spent 10 years with Spurs after arriving from the German club Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. He won the Premier League Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 2021-2022 season with 23 goals and captained Tottenham to the UEFA Europa League title in May this year for their first trophy in 17 years.
Son is fifth on the all-time Tottenham scoring list with 173 goals in 454 matches.
With a mic in his hand, Son took a few moments to gather himself as fans kept cheering and finally greeted them, "It's Sonny here."
"I hope you guys don't forget me here," he said, his voice cracking. "It's been an amazing 10 years, guys. It's been an incredible 10 years. I just want to say thank you. I will be always Spurs and I will always be with you. This will always be my home. I will never forget you."
Son later received a commemorative golden cockerel from club legend Ledley King and blew kisses toward the stands before leaving the stadium.
Son's old team went out and defeated SK Slavia Praha 3-0.
Also on Tuesday, Tottenham unveiled a street mural in honor of Son on Tottenham High Road, the thoroughfare to the stadium. It depicts Son's signature goal celebration, with his thumbs and index fingers forming the shape of a camera, and also shows the ex-Tottenham captain hoisting the Europa League trophy while draped in the South Korean national flag. Also gracing the mural are the words, "Sonny, Spurs Legend."
"It's a special feeling. I am really, really grateful to be there on the wall. Thank you for this amazing art," Son said in a clip posted on Tottenham's social media. "I hope people remember me as a good human being and also as a good player." (Yonhap)
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