‘A big surprise’: Conte left shocked by what £22m Tottenham player did right after they landed in South Korea

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Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has admitted to the club’s official website he was shocked to see Heung-Min Son waiting to greet him and his players, right after they landed in his homeland at the weekend.  

Conte and his players set off on Saturday and were welcomed by a huge crowd when they arrived at the Incheon Airport in Seoul.

The Spurs team were greeted with massive cheers from fans in South Korea and a surprise welcome from Heung-Min Son.

They arrived to find Son waiting for them at the airport with a sign that read ‘Welcome to Seoul’.

Son was then embraced by his delighted looking teammates and the shocked Italian even had time to give the forward a hug.  

Conte left shocked by Son

Speaking on the Tottenham Youtube channel, he said: “It was a big surprise to see him [standing waiting for the team]. Sonny is a really important player to stay at his home.

“For him it’s great. I have seen him today, happy and with great pride that we stay together in his country.”

The South Korean joined Spurs back in 2016 for a fee of around £22 million (BBC) and it’s the first time he will play for the club in his native country.

Conte also revealed that he didn’t expect to receive such a warm welcome in Seoul as fans cheered their arrival.

He said: “It was incredible to find all those people at the airport.

“It was incredible for me and I didn’t expect so many people and so many fans.”

The Italian and his team will play in the Coupang Play Series this week as part of their pre-season preparations.

Spurs will play against South Korean side Team K League on Wednesday (July 13) and La Liga outfit Sevilla on Saturday (July 16).

Four players missed out on the 28-man squad as Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, Segio Reguilon and Harry Winks remain at Hotspur Way.