Son Heung-min makes frank admission over record-breaking MLS move
The 33-year-old's move, valued at over £20million, marks the highest transfer fee ever paid by an MLS club
Son Heung-min has completed a record-breaking transfer to Los Angeles FC, admitting the Major League Soccer club was not his initial preferred destination despite their successful persuasion.
The 33-year-old's move, valued at over £20million, marks the highest transfer fee ever paid by an MLS club.
During his 10-year tenure, Son scored 173 goals in 454 appearances, and recently captained the club to Europa League glory.
Speaking at his introductory press conference in Los Angeles, the South Korea international confessed that LAFC had "changed his heart" regarding the move to the United States, where he has signed an initial two-year deal.
The South Korea national team captain also admitted he "had to be persuaded of the merits" of the transfer.
“They’ve been absolutely working so hard to get me here to join LAFC,” Son said.
“If I’m honest it was not my first choice but John (Thorrington, LAFC general manager) was the first call when the season finished and John changed my mind, he changed my heart.
“I’m so happy to see all the Korean fans, I was at the game and I saw you supporting like crazy and I wanted to run on the pitch and show my performance. I’m here to win and I will perform.
“I will definitely show you something exciting in… are we calling it football or soccer? I will definitely show you some exciting football and we will have success.”
Son added that the decision to leave Spurs had left him feeling “very empty”.
“I felt like I gave it all, but I felt like I needed a new chapter and new challenge and I chose LAFC. I’m old but I still have good physicality, good legs and I still have good quality.”
Earlier Son had issued a heartfelt message to Tottenham fans on making the “hardest decision ever” to leave north London.
“How to find the right words for this? I don’t know. I have been thinking for days. It’s impossible. But here I go,” Son wrote.
“It’s time for me to say goodbye to Tottenham Hotspur. My home for the past decade.
“When I arrived in 2015, I didn’t speak English, I didn’t know London, but you welcomed me with open arms, believed in me, and stood by me through every high and low.
“I was just a boy from Korea with big dreams who was supposed to have no chance. And now, 10 years later, North London is in my heart forever.
“I’ve made friends for life here, had the honour of becoming a godfather here, and had the privilege of captaining our special club here. I’ve poured my heart and soul into this club, which makes this the hardest decision ever.
“I thought if I was ever going to leave, it would have to be on my terms, on the best terms, when our mission had been accomplished together. With pride and honour.”
Son joined Spurs in 2015 from Bayer Leverkusen.
Alongside old partner in crime Harry Kane, Son holds the record for the most goal involvements by a duo in the Premier League, with the pair assisting each other on a record 47 occasions in the competition.
Son’s performance helped turn Tottenham into title contenders when they finished second in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino in 2017, finishing as runners-up in the Champions League two years later.
After Kane left for Bayern Munich, Son became Spurs captain under Ange Postecoglou, lifting the Europa League trophy in May – having come off the bench in the final against Manchester United, a 1-0 Spurs win, after an injury-affected campaign.
The popular South Korean will renew acquaintances with Hugo Lloris and move to Los Angeles, which boasts one of the largest Korean populations in the world, ahead of next summer’s World Cup in the United States.