18h59 CEST
03/08/2025
Departing Tottenham attacker Son Heung-min celebrated an "unforgettable" farewell appearance for the club.
Son confirmed on Saturday that he had asked to leave Spurs, who he joined from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.
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.
The 33-year-old is expected to join Los Angeles FC, and on Sunday, in his home country of South Korea, Son played what seems all set to be his final game for Spurs, as they drew 1-1 against Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly.
Son received a guard of honour and could not hold back the tears as he made way for Mohammed Kudus in the 65th minute.
"I didn't think I was going to cry at first," Son said.
"But after hearing a few words from my team-mates, leaving the club I've spent so much time with felt really tough.
"I felt really, really happy playing this match. Thanks to my fans, my team-mates and also my opponents, I've had an unforgettable day."
Son insisted that "nothing has been finalised" regarding his next move, though reports on Sunday suggested LAFC had edged out competition from Saudi Arabia to sign him.
He has featured 454 times for Tottenham across all competitions, scoring 173 goals as well as laying on 96 assists.
Eddie Howe feels the reaction to Son from his players spoke to the character of the Spurs forward.
"I think it was very instinctive from the players," Newcastle's boss said.
"I think that speaks volumes for him as a person and him as a footballer that both teams recognise the way he's played the game."