'The Most Difficult Decision I Have Made In My Career' – Son Heung-min Confirms Tottenham Hotspur Exit

Son Heung-min has announced he will leave Tottenham this summer after 10 years at the club.

Son, who signed for Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 for £22m (€30m), cited a desire for a new challenge as the reasoning behind his decision. 

The 33-year-old is set to make his final appearance for Spurs in their pre-season friendly against Newcastle United in Seoul on Sunday.

Son has featured 454 times for Tottenham across all competitions, scoring 173 goals as well as laying on 96 assists for his team-mates. 

He has found the back of the net 127 times in the Premier League, and sits joint-16th alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for the most goals in the competition. 

"Before we start the press conference, I wanted to say I have decided to leave the club this summer. Respectfully the club is helping me with this decision," Son said. 

"It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. Such amazing memories. It was so hard to make the decision.

"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.

"I want to say thank you to all the Spurs fans for giving me so much love. I hope the goodbye is also good timing, and this is the right time to make that decision.

"I hope everyone can accept that and respect that."

Only Mohamed Salah (270) and Harry Kane (231) have been involved in more Premier League goals than Son (198) since his first season at Tottenham in 2015-16.

He enjoyed his most prolific campaign in the top flight in 2021-22, scoring 23 times as he shared the Golden Boot with Salah and became the first Asian player to win the award. 

Of the 93 players to have scored at least 60 Premier League goals, Son is the only player to have scored more than 36% of his goals via both his left and right feet (39% left-footed, 58% right-footed).

Son also played 23 minutes of their Europa League triumph against Manchester United in May, captaining the side to their first major trophy in 17 years. 

"To spend 10 years at the club makes me so proud," Son added. "I feel I have achieved everything I can here. I am grateful the team has accepted my decision."

Son has made the sixth-most appearances in Tottenham's history, behind only Cyril Knowles, Pat Jennings, Gary Mabbutt, Steve Perryman and Glenn Hoddle.

The South Korea international has been linked with a move to the MLS, with Los Angeles FC his reported destination. 

"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."