Tottenham Hotspur captain and legendary South Korean international forward Son Heung-min unexpectedly announced on Saturday that he will be leaving the club this summer.

Son made the shocking announcement during a pre-match press conference in Seoul ahead of Tottenham's pre-season friendly against Newcastle United on Saturday.

He was moved to tears, saying that after 10 years at Spurs and winning the Europa League with the club, he felt it was time for a change of scenery and new challenges.

He expressed his gratitude to Spurs for providing him with the platform to transform from a young man who barely spoke English into a man. He will be forever grateful to everyone who has helped him and shown him love, and will always remember and be proud of being a member of the club.

Son Heung-min said: "Before we officially begin today's press conference, I want to share with everyone that I have decided to leave the club this summer. The club has respected my decision and has been working with me."

"At the age of 23, I came to North London as a child, a young boy who didn't even speak a word of English, and now I am leaving as a much-grown man. This is an experience that I am very proud of."

"For this, I want to say thank you to all the best friends who have shown me love and support. Tottenham Hotspur is my home, but this is one of the hardest decisions I have made in my life."

"There is always the right time to say goodbye, and I think this is the right time to do so. I hope everyone can understand and respect my decision."

When asked if his teammates were aware of his departure, Son Heung-min said, "Because sometimes we spend five or six hours a day together training and playing, which is more time than we spend with our families, it was difficult for me to tell my teammates my decision."

"We all knew what everyone was thinking. Although they were a little sad, they understood and were happy for me. That's what I felt. Of course, I have no way of knowing what they truly felt."

Regarding Son Heung-min's impending departure, Spurs head coach Thomas Frank called him a true club legend and described his departure as a fairytale ending.

Frank said: "He's a true Spurs legend in every aspect. I think he's one of the best wingers in Premier League history."

"I'm delighted the club accepted this decision, because finding such perfect timing, coupled with my arrival, for him to leave on such a high note was not easy."

"He's been here for 10 years, won a trophy for us, and has been one of our absolute key players for the past few seasons. This is almost the perfect ending to his time here."

Finally, Frank also confirmed that Son Heung-min will captain the team in tomorrow's pre-season friendly against Newcastle United. If this is destined to be his final game for Spurs, he believes that nothing could be more satisfying than playing and finishing his last game for the club in front of his hometown fans.

It is reported that the South Korean national team captain is expected to join Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC. 

About Son Heung-min

Son Heung-min, 33, was born on July 8, 1992, in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, South Korea. Standing 1.83 meters tall, he primarily plays as a left winger, but can also play center forward. His father, Son Woong-jung, was a former South Korean national team striker and currently serves as the director and coach of his own football academy in South Korea. His older brother, Son Heung-yun, is also a retired striker.

Son Heung-min fell in love with football under the influence of his father since he was a child. He joined FC Seoul's youth academy in 2008 and then Hamburg's youth academy the following year, before completing his Hamburg first-team debut in a DFB-Pokal match in October 2010.

During his three-year spell at Hamburg, Son Heung-min quickly became the fifth Korean player to score double digits in the European league with his outstanding performances.

During his three years at Hamburg, Son Heung-min quickly became the fifth South Korean player to reach double digits in goals in a European league with his outstanding performances.

In July 2013, Son Heung-min joined Bayer Leverkusen for €10 million.

During his two-year spell with Die Werkself, Son Heung-min continued his high scoring prowess, attracting interest from Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund.

In August 2015, Son Heung-min joined Tottenham Hotspur for £22 million.

During his 10-year tenure at Spurs, Son made 454 appearances for the Premier League giants in all competitions, scoring 173 goals and providing 101 assists. During which he has won the Europa League once, as well as reaching the Champions League final once and the Carabao Cup final once with the club.

He is fifth in Spurs' all-time appearance maker and the fourth in the club's all-time topscorer list. He is also the first captain to lead the club to a trophy since 2008 and the fourth captain in their history to win a European competition. Likewise, he is also the only Asian player in Premier League history to have won the Golden Boot and was the recipient of the Puskas Award in 2020.