Pre-season fixtures are not usually emotional affairs. But Sunday’s 1-1 draw between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in Seoul brought supporters old and young to tears.
Why? Because it was the last appearance in a Spurs shirt for a club legend and fan favourite: Son Heung-min.
It should not really have been a surprise but somehow it was: Son was Tottenham’s captain and the man who lifted the Europa League crown last May to end Spurs’ 17-year wait for silverware.
He had been on the decline and did not start the final in Bilbao, but Saturday’s announcement that he was to leave imminently still caught most supporters off guard.
Mister loyal
Son was signed by Tottenham from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015 and, after a difficult first season in N17, went on to become a key player in Mauricio Pochettino’s special side.
And even when that team fell off and the likes of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli ultimately left, the South Korean stayed and formed a formidable partnership with Harry Kane. Kane was the homegrown hero, but it was Son who stayed despite links with many of Europe’s elite clubs, claiming he only wanted to succeed at Tottenham.
Such loyalty meant much and especially because, at his peak, he was good enough to play for anyone.
Admired by fans of most clubs
Son leaves with 173 goals and 101 assists for Spurs in 454 competitive appearances for the north London club. He will join Los Angeles FC for a reported £20 million, making him one of the most expensive signings in Major League Soccer history.
And no doubt his trademark smile and explosive strikes will light up MLS in the way he has thrilled the Premier League over the past decade.
One of those players admired by fans of most clubs – save the vile abuse from a handful of Arsenal fans on social media this week and a number of Everton supporters still bizarrely claiming he deliberately injured André Gomes – and across the world, Son leaves as a Premier League legend, not just a Tottenham great.
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When I interviewed Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario last year for FourFourTwo, he spoke of the players’ hopes of winning a trophy and how their pictures would be up on the walls inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium if they could achieve it.
Son Heung-min is right in the middle of those images – and his huge contribution will never be forgotten.