May 23, 2025
SEOUL – It’s official: Son Heung-min has declared himself a sports legend as he fulfilled his pledge to lead Tottenham Hotspur to a major trophy, as Wednesday’s Europa League final over Manchester United ended the club’s 17-year championship drought.
“Let’s say I am a legend, why not! Only today!” the 32-year-old Spurs captain told TNT Sports after his team lifted the coveted trophy. “In 17 years, nobody (with Tottenham) has done it, so with such amazing players — yeah, today’s the day. Probably I will say today, I’m a legend of this club.”
Son said earlier this season that while he wished to be remembered as a Tottenham legend, he was not entitled to such honors just yet.
After Brennan Johnson netted the only goal of the first half and ultimately the match, Tottenham protected the lead throughout the match to clinch its first title since winning the English League Cup in 2008. It was the team’s first European title since the UEFA Cup win in 1984.
Son came off the bench to replace Richarlison at the 67-minute mark, returning from a foot injury. He acknowledged the contribution of the young players in the post-game interview and said he was “very lucky to have such an amazing group of players” with him.
The win marked a drastic turnaround from what had been one of the team’s most disappointing seasons in recent years. As of Thursday, the team stands 17th in the EPL with its win-loss record being well below the 0.500 mark.
Son himself has been plagued by injuries and his scoring numbers dipped, possibly attributed to his declining physical abilities due to age. Despite the numerous setbacks and dismal English Premier League campaign, Wednesday’s win marked an exhilarating finish for the club’s fans.
An exuberant Son joked he may miss the flight home and even the upcoming game against Brighton & Hove Albion slated for next week from celebrating the European title. Tottenham is set to partake in a celebratory open-top bus parade on Friday in the streets of North London.
Son is widely considered one of the best soccer players to come out of Asia and has garnered numerous honors. His individual accolades include an array of Korean and Asian player of the year awards, the FIFA Puskas Award in 2020, the EPL Golden Boot for 2021-2022, the FA Cup scoring title for 2016-17, and the EPL Goal of the Season award in 2019-20.
As a long-time captain of the South Korean national team, he led his country to an Asian Games win in 2018.
Although he has blossomed into a prolific scorer and leader in the EPL during his 10-season tenure with Spurs, the championship has always eluded him. His team came up short in the finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2018-19, and again in the EFL Cup in 2020-21, despite the formidable attacking duo of Son and his then-teammate Harry Kane, the all-time scoring leader for Spurs.
Kane got his hands on the first major trophy of his career last week, winning the Bundesliga championship with Bayern Munich.
Son is Tottenham’s all-time leader in career assists and is ranked No. 4 in club scoring, with Kane being the only active player with more goals than him in the club’s history.
Winning a trophy for his team had been the main goal for Son, who said before the match that he has “accomplished everything” in the 10 years he has been at Tottenham, “except for one thing.” Having achieved virtually all he has set out to do in England, many are wondering if he will move on to the next phase of his career in a different league.
Tottenham said in January that it has picked up the option to keep Son until 2026, but there have not yet been reports of a further contract extension for the Korean. Multiple media outlets have reported that Tottenham management and Son himself have had contacts with Saudi Arabian clubs.
Due to the lackluster season, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou’s future with the club remains uncertain. UK-based sports news website TBR Football, citing sources, said on May 18 that Son could remain with Spurs beyond this summer, although it’s “totally dependent on the manager.”
With good relations between Son and Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy, Son’s future at Spurs is purportedly linked to Postecoglou’s uncertain future and the direction that his potential replacement may go in if the current manager is indeed sacked.