How one decision in 2016 led Son Heung-min to become a Tottenham legend

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Son Heung-min has put an end to speculation about his Tottenham future after announcing that he will be leaving the club this summer.

Having signed for Tottenham in 2015, the 33-year-old is a certified club legend, going on to make 454 appearances in North London on his way to helping his side end their 17-year trophy drought with last season’s Europa League triumph.

He is adored by fans and teammates alike, with the Tottenham players naturally being disappointed with Son’s announcement.

However, it could all have been very different for the South Korean had he and then-manager Mauricio Pochettino not reached a mutual decision in 2016.

Son Heung-min decided to stay and ‘fight for his position’ at Tottenham after wanting to leave

Son endured a difficult first season in England after making the move from Bayer Leverkusen.

While making 28 Premier League appearances in the 2015/16 campaign, most of these were off the bench as he only played just over 1,000 minutes.

He struggled to settle at the club, to the point that just a year after joining, he wanted to return to Germany.

Speaking in 2016, as reported by the Evening Standard, Mauricio Pochettino revealed that for Son, the 2015/16 season “was tough. He came to see me and said, ‘I need your help.’

“I said, ‘okay, always my door is open,’ and we decide to stay. He is a quiet person, [a] nice person, and then you need to fight for your place.

“But it’s true, from the beginning after the Olympic Games, his idea was to leave to go to Germany.

“In his mind, he would like to move, but in the end he accepted to stay and fight for his position.”

It proved to be the correct decision, one that would see Son become a Tottenham legend as he would go on to enjoy a wonderful 10 years at the club.

Two stats that emphasise just how much Son Heung-min achieved at Tottenham

Tottenham fans are well aware of the quality Son Heung-min possesses, having watched the winger week in, week out for the last decade.

From his Puskas award-winning goal against Burnley in 2019, to his Golden Boot campaign in the 2021/22 season, Son has demonstrated his class regularly following his difficult first campaign.

The South Korean’s ability also shines through in two Tottenham-specific stats, as well.

First, Son’s aforementioned 454 appearances for the club place him fifth on the all-time appearance list, ahead of the likes of Harry Kane and Glenn Hoddle.

He ranks one better in the list of Tottenham’s all-time top scorers, placing fourth behind Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Smith after scoring 173 goals for the Lilywhites.

Both stats emphasise just how good the 33-year-old has been in North London.

With a likely move to LAFC next for Son, he will be remembered by Tottenham fans for years to come.