Son Heung-min’s Emotional Farewell to Spurs: How Much Will Tottenham Miss Their Captain?

Son Heung-min bid a heartfelt goodbye in what is expected to be his final game for Tottenham, playing in front of his passionate home fans in Seoul. The South Korean forward received an emotional send-off, surrounded by teammates and even Newcastle players forming a guard of honour as he was substituted in the 65th minute. Son handed over the captain’s armband to Ben Davies before leaving the pitch visibly moved, reflecting the deep bond he shares with the club after a decade of dedication.

Son described his decision to leave Spurs as the "most difficult" of his career but expressed gratitude for a memorable farewell. Despite the bittersweet moment, he remains optimistic about his future and hopes to continue bringing joy to fans at his next destination, with MLS side Los Angeles FC reportedly in advanced talks. Spurs new manager Thomas Frank paid tribute to Son’s legacy, acknowledging the mix of beauty and hardship that defined the farewell match, especially after James Maddison’s injury early in the game.

How Much Will Spurs Miss Son?

Son’s impact at Tottenham goes far beyond numbers:

• Scored 173 goals and provided 101 assists in 454 appearances, placing him fifth on Spurs’ all-time scoring list.
• Joint 16th highest goal scorer in Premier League history with 127 goals, holding the club record for Premier League assists (71).
• First Asian Golden Boot winner in the 2021-22 season (shared with Mohamed Salah).
• After Harry Kane’s departure in 2023, Son scored 17 goals and assisted 10 more in 35 league games in 2023-24.
• Though last season he didn’t reach double figures in goals, he achieved his best assist rate (0.38 assists per 90 minutes) and created the fifth-most big chances in the league.

Son’s presence dramatically influenced Spurs’ performance: they won 42% of league games he started compared to just 7% without him, averaging 2.1 goals per game with him on the pitch versus 1.0 without. As Spurs face a new era, players like summer signing Mohamed Kudus will need to rise to the challenge and fill the void left by their inspirational captain.