Son Heung-min, South Korea’s international, has announced his imminent departure from Tottenham Hotspur this summer after a 10 year spell at the north London club.
An emotional Son, while speaking during a press conference described the decision as “the most difficult one I have made in my career” as he spoke to media alongside new manager Thomas Frank.
“I came to north London as a kid – a very young age, a young boy came to London who even didn’t speak English, leaving this club as a grown man is a very, very proud moment.” Son said.
The 33-year-old, is under contract with Spurs until 2026, but has entered an advanced negotiations with Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC, where he said he needs a new environment and a change to be able to push himself.
“I need a new environment to push myself. I need a little bit of change – 10 years is a long time,” Son added.
“I spent a lot of time reflecting on whether I wanted to experience football in a different environment, and I had those conversations with myself over and over again.”
Tottenham are in Seoul as part of their pre-season preparations, with Son set to start and skipper the side against Newcastle in their friendly on Sunday – meaning his final appearance for the club could come in his home country.
The South Korea international joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and has scored 173 goals in 454 appearances, and also provided 101 assists in all competitions to hold Spurs’ record for Premier League assists with 71.
