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.
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The arrival of Dominic Solanke pushed Son to his old position of left winger under Ange Postecoglu, but by that point reality had sunk in that he no longer had the legs to excel in the position he once dazzled in.
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!”
It was just two years later that 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.
A New Chapter Looms
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.
Moving forward, Son’s transfer to LAFC is a strategic masterstroke. With the 2026 World Cup happening on American soil, it positions him at the heart of a growing soccer boom by offering one final chapter where he’s a marketing icon disguised as a new national treasure.
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. Even at the elite level, Heung-Min made a full-circle moment by contrasting the coldness of his beginnings to loving and now leaving with a trademark smile on his face.
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The 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.
But with the arrival of Dominic Solanke, Son was shifted back to his old position on the left wing under Ange Postecoglou’s demanding system. By then, the pace that once defined him had begun to fade. He no longer had the same spark in the role he used to light up.
Bundesliga Days
In his early Bundesliga years, Son was a bright, versatile forward, often used across the front four but frequently deployed as a striker. At Hamburg, he helped the team overachieve. His former teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy recognised his potential early. In 2011, he said: “My teammate Son Heung-min, massive talent, 18 years old… Watch out for him. Class!”
Just two years later, Son was a Bundesliga regular and a key figure in a 4–1 away win over Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund. His sharp movement against Dortmund’s high line showed a level of intelligence and composure rarely seen in players his age. That night and that season was a springboard, and after a strong spell at Bayer Leverkusen, the move to England followed.
Hindsight certainly brings a beautiful perspective. In light of his departure, 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.
A New Chapter
In his farewell, Son said: “I always want to leave in a perfect way so that people can think about me — very proud moments and very happy moments.” With a year left on his contract, he left on his own terms — and on a high. Spurs had just won their first ever European trophy, beating Manchester United in the Europa League final, salvaging what had been a difficult domestic campaign.
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.
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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.
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.
“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