Leaving With A Smile: The Legacy of Heung-Min Son

‘Cheers, Son’s crying’ was a social media phenomenon on Twitter for years, but in his farewell video for Tottenham Hotspur last month, the meme became a reality. A tearful Son said goodbye to the London club he has called his home for the last 10 years – a long 9,000 km from his home in South Korea where his football journey began.

Pink-nosed, and barely able to compose a sentence, Son began his farewell in front of the camera with: “I will leave the Spurs family”. He reaffirmed his departure into existence with many paused silences in between each proclamation.

The 3-minute-27-second video made one thing clear: this wasn’t just a goodbye, it was a deeply personal letting go of the good times. A farewell tangled in the conflict of finding the right moment to leave, and the painful truth every footballer must one day face as the harsh cyclical nature of time catches even the most youthful looking ones.

Bundesliga Days – The Rise at Hamburg

In his early Bundesliga days, Son was a vibrant, interchangeable attacker who had been used across all four positions, but even in these developmental years was often used as a striker. At Hamburger SV, Ruud van Nistelrooy bought Son stocks very early on in 2011, where he prophesised: “My teammate Son Heung Min, massive talent, 18 years old… Watch out for him. Class!”

Just two years later, Son was a Bundesliga regular, instrumental in a 4-1 away victory against Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund team. His sharpness in playing against the high line and press showed high intelligence against the very best, even as a teenager. It afforded Son the stage to shine on and catapult his career which later saw him hone his skills at Bayer Leverkusen before his move to England.

Hindsight certainly brings a beautiful perspective. In light of his departure from Leverkusen, an old David Ornstein tweet from 2015 resurfaced in Tottenham’s failed pursuit of Saido Berahino which led them to look at Son. As Berahino plies his trade in the Slovenian second division in 2025, the kid from South Korea is the one that leaves a fruitful legacy in England.

The Golden Kane Years

Son’s legacy is tied to being the man who stepped up in the absence of, or alongside, Harry Kane. Nowhere was that clearer than on that famous night against Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, where he scored twice with Kane sidelined.

The pair hold the most goal combinations in Premier League history with 47, having surpassed some of the iconic duos such as Didier Drogba/Frank Lampard and Robert Pires/Thierry Henry. When Kane departed for Bayern Munich in 2023, there was little panic. Son had already proven he could carry the team when needed. He transitioned into the leadership role seamlessly, becoming club captain and Spurs’ new attacking focal point.

That was until the arrival of Dominic Solanke, who pushed Son to his old position of left winger under Ange Postecoglu. By that point, reality had sunk in that he no longer had the legs to excel in the position he once dazzled in.

Leaving Spurs On A High

In his farewell, Son stated: “I always want to leave in a perfect way so that people can think about me, very proud moments and very happy moments.” 

With one year left on his contract, Son left on his own accord, and on a high. Spurs secured their first ever European trophy by beating Manchester United in the Europa League final last season, saving their disaster of a domestic season.

For Spurs, they face a trivial time in many sense. Replacing Son the player is easier than replacing Son the superstar. Brennan Johnson, Mathys Tel, Dejan Kulusevski and Mohammed Kudus are certainly good options to occupy the wide areas for Spurs in 2025/26. However, Thomas Frank’s side are left without a global superstar for the first time in over a decade.

There is no Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, or Heung-Min Son. James Maddison will be out for much of the season after his ACL injury, forcing Tottenham to invest in the market and bring in Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani to reinforce the attack.

A New Chapter in America

Son’s move to LAFC is a calculated one. With the 2026 World Cup approaching in the United States, it places him at the centre of a growing football culture and gives him one last platform – not just as a marquee signing, but as a global icon in a country that’s ready to embrace him.

A few years ago, The Athletic deep dived into Son’s upbringing, forged through an unrelenting childhood routine by his father, Son Woong-jung. Drills were repeated until exhaustion, and fun was secondary to perfection. In the twilight of his career, the former Spurs icon will get an opportunity to revel in the soccer fever in the run-up to the World Cup whilst continuing to challenge for silverware.

In one sense, Heung-Min has made a full-circle moment by contrasting the coldness of his beginnings to loving and now leaving Spurs with memories to cherish and a trademark smile on his face.

Fans will remember the goals, the joy, the celebrations, and also the tears. The highs of European nights, the heartbreak of the 2019 Champions League final loss to Liverpool. All of it.

“Now we are all crying,” Son said in his farewell video. Whether he meant it as a nod to the meme or not, the line landed. What once started as a joke had finally come true. Intentional or not, the line felt like a poignant echo of the meme that once joked about everyone’s son and their tears. But now that was made real.

Farewell, Sonny.

By: Abdullah Mamaniyat / @mxmnyt

Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Shaun Clark / Getty Images