Departing Tottenham captain Son in tears
SEOUL: Departing Tottenham captain Son Heung-min was in tears and his teammates threw him in the air on an emotional evening in his native South Korea on Sunday. Spurs drew 1-1 with Newcastle in a pre-season friendly in Seoul but that was secondary to the farewell for the 33-year-old attacker. There was also the sorry sight of James Maddison being stretchered off with what manager Thomas Frank said 'was most likely a bad injury' to his knee.
In what could have been his final game for the north Londoners, Son played 65 minutes but did not score at Seoul World Cup Stadium, a day after announcing his decision to leave Tottenham this summer after a decade. He left the pitch to a thunderous ovation from nearly 65,000 fans, hugging his teammates and even his opponents. The South Korea captain was caught offside twice in the early going, as his teammates tried to create opportunities for him, but he did not really assert himself on the match otherwise. Son was replaced in the 65th minute by Mohammed Kudus and he walked off in tears as thousands of fans chanted his name.
'I didn't think I was going to cry at first,' Son said. 'But after hearing a few words from my teammates, 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 teammates and also my opponents, I've had an unforgettable day.' Son, who has been linked with LAFC in Major League Soccer, declined to reveal his next destination, saying: 'Nothing has been finalized.' Frank said he enjoyed the 'unbelievable, beautiful scenes' Son had with players from both sides on his way off the pitch.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said his players' reaction to the end of Son's night had not been planned. 'I think it was very instinctive from the players,' Howe said. 'I think that speaks volumes for him as a person and him as a footballer that both teams recognize the way he's played the game.' Brennan Johnson's right-footed strike opened the scoring for Tottenham in the fourth minute, and the Welsh forward paid homage to Son by mimicking the South Korean star's camera celebration. Harvey Barnes leveled in the 38th minute, beating Antonin Kinsky with a right-footed shot that went in off the post. — AFP
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