Son Heung-min, the 33-year-old South Korean captain of Tottenham Hotspur, will end his 10-year spell with the Premier League soccer club this summer, he said on Saturday.
Son did not disclose his destination but local British media speculate he will move to Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.
In May this year, Son led the team to their first trophy in 17 years, winning the Europe League final over Manchester United. However, the captain himself suffered a series of leg injuries and recorded a poor season when compared to his previous performance.
What did Son say?
“I have decided to leave the team this summer,” Son said at a press conference, appearing to be holding back tears. The announcement came a day before Spurs’ pre-season friendly match against Newcastle United played in Seoul, the capital of Son’s homeland of South Korea, on Sunday.
“I need a new environment to push myself. I need a little bit of change — 10 years is a long time. I came to north London as a kid, 23 years old, such a young age,” “I leave this club as a grown man, a very proud man,” he said, adding that the club was helping him with the decision.
Winning the Europe League trophy played a big part in his thinking, Son told the media.
“I did my best on the field and off the field, and by winning the Europa League, I thought I’d done everything I could and achieved,” he added.
Son moved from South Korea to Germany at the age of 16 to play in the Bundesliga before relocating to the UK to join the Spurs. He has played over 450 games with the Spurs and scored 173 goals for the UK team.
