Son Heung-min leaves Spurs: Where he ranks in list of Tottenham’s greatest players

 Son Heung-min, the Tottenham Hotspur captain, has revealed he will leave the club this summer.

Son has spent the last decade at Spurs, making 454 appearances and scoring 173 goals for the north London club.

He achieved his goal of silverware in May, when he helped the Premier League team to Europa League success with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United, ending a 17-year trophy drought for the club.

The South Korean said he was ready for a “fresh challenge” as he explained his decision during a press conference in Seoul, ahead of Tottenham’s pre-season friendly with Newcastle United on Sunday.

MLS outfit Los Angeles FC are leading the race for his signature, it is understood.

Son told a press conference: “Before we start, I wanted to say I have decided to leave the club this summer. Respectfully, the club is helping me with this decision.

“It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career, such amazing memories. It was so hard to make this decision.”

He continued: “I need a new environment to push myself. I need a little bit of change – 10 years is a long time.

“I came to north London as a kid, 23 years old, such a young age. I leave the club as a grown man, a very proud man.

“I want to say thanks to all the Spurs fans for giving me so much love. I hope the goodbye is also good timing and this is the right time to make that decision. I hope everyone can accept and respect that.”

Thomas Frank, the new Tottenham head coach, confirmed Son would start and be captain in Sunday’s friendly with Newcastle at Seoul’s World Cup Stadium.

Telegraph Sport reported last week that Spurs would miss out on as much as 75 per cent of their fee for playing in Seoul if Son was not part of the touring squad. It is believed the fee would be halved were he to travel but not play in the game.

It could be Son’s final appearance for Spurs, despite the Uefa Super Cup fixture with Paris St-Germain in Udine on the horizon on August 13.

Tottenham’s greatest ever players ranked

Son Heung-min’s decision to leave Tottenham Hotspur after a decade of brilliant service makes you wonder: where does he fit in the list of the club’s finest players? It is some collection he has to compete with to gain inclusion. But here is our top 20.

20. Jurgen Klinsmann (1994-95 and 1997-98)

In his only full season at White Hart Lane, the German scored 29 goals and was named the Football Writers’ Association player of the year. After netting the winner on his debut, he delivered the finest goal celebration of all time with his self-mocking dive. He returned on loan in 1997-98 and helped Spurs avoid relegation.

19. Martin Chivers (1968-76)

Scoring in the finals of the League Cup in both 1971 and 1973 and the Uefa Cup in between, Chivers, the tall, agile centre-forward, was the man for the big occasion. In all he netted 202 times for Spurs in 415 appearances.