CHEERS, SON’S CRYING
Due in no small part to their peerless work in the field of curing the ills of struggling and out-of-sorts opponents in need of a fillip, few Spurs fans would be sorry to see the back of Dr Tottenham if he ever decides to leave their club. But on Sunday in Seoul, during a pre-season friendly between the Bigger Vase champions and Newcastle, there was scarcely a dry eye in the house as Tottenham and their South Korean supporters’ branch bade an emotional farewell to a player who, over the past decade, has to all intents and purposes become Mr Tottenham. Substituted after 65 minutes of the 1-1 draw, an emotional Son Heung-min received warm hugs and a guard of honour from both his teammates and the players of Newcastle before retiring to the substitutes’ bench for a little weep. After 10 years of service, one of the most popular, high-performance and low-maintenance players to ever grace the Premier League is off to ply his trade in MLS with LAFC and an English football landscape so often synonymous with spittle-flecked and snarling rage will be considerably poorer for the absence of his trademark beatific beam.
“I didn’t think I was going to cry at first but after hearing a few words from my teammates, leaving the club I’ve spent so much time with felt really tough,” he sobbed. “I felt really, really happy playing this match. Thanks to my fans, my teammates and also my opponents, I’ve had an unforgettable day. My career is not over yet, and I want to continue to bring joy. I know I have more things I want to accomplish as a football player.” In his 454 appearances for Spurs, the man they call Son accomplished plenty. He scored 173 goals and provided 101 assists but such metrics don’t come even close to measuring his contribution to the club’s cause. On the pitch a graceful, lightning fast predator with the cold eye of an assassin, Son lifted Tottenham’s first trophy in 16 years last season and at other points during his time in north London, won a Puskás Award and shared a golden boot.
In arguably his greatest act of personal selflessness for the benefit of the greater Tottenham Hotspur good, he also made a complete dog’s breakfast of that one-on-one with Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to deny Arsenal the title two seasons ago. Off the pitch, it has long been apparent that Son is that rare breed of elite footballer who few people, except perhaps Arsenal fans in whose collective side he has been a constant thorn, has a bad word to say about. Among those shedding salty tears in Seoul was Ben Davies, the similarly long-serving Spurs player who is so close to the departing South Korean that – try saying this without slurring after a skinful – his son is Son’s godson. “I saw my good friend Ben Davies cry,” said Son in the post-match interview. “Seeing him tearing up with his eyes going all red made me feel sorry and thankful at the same time. A mixture of feelings really but as the godfather of his son, I need to strive for more, to make my godson proud.”
While Son’s rigid adherence to his duties as a moral guardian are to be commended, Football Daily is prepared to wager that as long as he remembers to pony up the obligatory readies each and every birthday, Davies Jr is unlikely to give two hoots whether or not he ever kicks a football again. “Sonny is Tottenham and Tottenham is Sonny,” declared James Maddison before the friendly, a game in which the midfielder was carried off the field on a stretcher after suffering a bad case of knee-knack. “It’s weird to think about Tottenham Hotspur without Son.” For those who continue to pass in and out of the gates of the Spurs training complex, it will also be weird not to see the small gaggle of South Koreans who regularly convene on the Enfield outskirts hoping to get a smile, a kind word or a selfie as Son comes and goes from training. Exceedingly rare were the days, by all accounts, when the subject of their unbridled adoration failed to oblige them.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
We didn’t want to finish [our USA USA USA tour] in this way. Our performance wasn’t the best and we were a little bit lazy today. We want to avoid that because with laziness you can pay at any moment. [The squad’s quality] is improving. But it’s not the place it needs to be. It was crystal clear we needed more competition… hopefully we can get one or two players more” – Bruno Fernandes warms up for the new season with a familiarly downbeat refrain about Manchester United after a 2-2 draw with similarly underpowered Everton in Atlanta. They did win the Premier League Summer Series, mind. So cheer up, Bruno.
If ever the Ineos Grenadiers’ head carer needed evidence that he wasn’t involved in any performance enhancement shenanigans (Friday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition), working at Manchester United last year should prove it beyond reasonable doubt” – Jim Hearson.
I see Norwich have signed midfielder Mirko Topic. Does he come with a hazelnut in every biting tackle?” – Darian Boyd.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our letter o’ the day is … Jim Hearson, who lands some Football Weekly merch. Terms and conditions for our competitions are here.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning and the Football Weekly pod squad to discuss Son Heung-min’s Tottenham farewell and the return of the Football League.
RECOMMENDED BOOKING
On Thursday 11 September, join Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning and a host of your other Football Weekly favourites live on stage for an evening of unfiltered football punditry at Troxy in London and livestreamed globally. Book now.
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