Son Heung-min receives guard of honor in preseason friendly
Sunday’s friendly against Newcastle United ended 1-1, with Spurs forward Brennan Johnson scoring in the fourth minute and Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes equalizing in the 38th. Son was substituted off in the 65th minute for new signing Mohammed Kudus. Son received a guard of honor from both Spurs and Newcastle players, along with a warm ovation from the crowd, as he bade a teary farewell. He is expected to stay in South Korea while the rest of the Spurs players fly to London.
“At first, I really didn’t think I was going to cry. But obviously, it is not easy leaving a team I’ve spent so much time with. And hearing from all these players made me really emotional. I’ve had an unforgettable day thanks to all the fans, my teammates, and my opponents. I feel so happy that I don’t think I will be able to sleep tonight. My career is not over yet, and I want to continue to bring (the fans) joy. I know I have more things I want to accomplish as a football player.” – Son Heung-min
Son held back the tears in an emotional goodbye to the Tottenham faithful
Son joined the north London club from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, and though he did not disclose his next destination, British media have linked him with a move to Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. He is just the latest star player to join the MLS.
“Unbelievable scenes for Son from his teammates and the respect from the Newcastle players. First, we had the walkaround, and then the teammates gathered around, and he was emotional. In the changing room, it was more of the same… It was beautiful.”- Spurs manager Thomas Frank
The reaction was instinctive from my players. It’s not just his talent but the way he has carried himself over the years. I think he’s seen as one of the game’s great Premier League players.” – Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
Maddison came on in the 75th minute but went down off the ball, clutching his knee, and appeared to be in considerable discomfort. The 28-year-old England international was taken off on a stretcher around the 86th minute. “We’re pretty sure it was the same knee he injured before. I think sometimes in life and football things can be both beautiful and brutal,” Frank said.
Tottenham are bringing in new talent for the upcoming season
Maddison suffered an injury to the same knee in May and missed the final part of last season. The club later announced the loan signing of midfielder Joao Palhinha from Bayern Munich. The 30-year-old, who previously played in the Premier League for Fulham, joins until the end of next season with an option to make the move permanent. Most English clubs are busy with preseason friendlies at the moment, and Spurs have reinvented themselves following a decade of underperforming in the best league in the world. What future does the North London club have without their star player and captain? We will have to wait for the season to start to find out.
Coaches Database/Reuters
