Not long after Tottenham had won the Europa League final, club captain Son Heung-min was asked on TNT Sports, “Son, are you a legend now?” Before he had a chance to reply, Gareth Bale, his one-time teammate at the Lane and a Spurs icon in his own right, interjected: “He already was!” Bale’s quip was true, of course. Son is the highest-scoring foreign player in the club’s history, ranking fifth overall with 173 goals. Only Harry Kane has netted more Premier League and European goals for the club than the South Korean. In the 2022-23 season, he won the Golden Boot without taking a single penalty. That is Son’s legacy in cold, hard numbers, but any Spurs supporter will tell you that their fondness for him goes way beyond the clinical one vs one finishes and top-corner curlers. (Photo: Getty)

Spending his best years in north London

Son is adored just as much for his loyalty as his talent, if not more. At the end of a testing first season following a £23m move from Bayer Leverkusen, Son asked his then-manager Mauricio Pochettino if he could return to Germany. Spurs owe a debt of gratitude to the Argentine for persuading Son to stick it out. He has gone on to make 454 appearances in Spurs colours, more than any non-British or Irish player and is seventh in the overall standings. Signed at the age of 23, Son has spent a decade and the best years of his career in north London. (Photo: Reuters)

Turning fortunes around from 2021

Spurs faced a difficult summer in 2021 following a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Premier League. A prolonged managerial search turned farcical, with ill-fated Nuno Espirito Santo eventually handed the reins. Worse still, Kane’s head had been turned by interest from Manchester City. Supporters were furious at the club’s intention to join the loathed European Super League. Just two years from gracing the Champions League final, the club was a mess. Son was 29, had just scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists in the Premier League, and only had two years left on his contract. He held the cards to his own destiny; stick it out for a year, and the club would have had to sell him or risk losing him for nothing. (Photo: Yui Mok/PA)

Spurs 'like home'

He was at his peak and could have played for anyone, but he chose to play for Spurs, signing a two-year extension with the option of an extra 12 months. “It was already a big honour to play here for six years, the club have showed me massive, massive respect and obviously I’m very happy to be here,” he said. “It’s like home, especially with the fans, the players, the staff. There was no decision. It was easy. I’m so happy to be here and will be so glad to see the fans again soon.” Son was well compensated for his dedication, with his contract reportedly worth £200,000 per week. Living in a leafy, picturesque, suburban part of north London isn’t exactly a hardship. (Photo: Getty)

One of Spurs' greatest legacies?

But Son’s stance was unusual. Many of Tottenham’s best players have left at the peak of their powers. Sol Campbell, Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane all went to “Big Six” rivals in the 2000s. Luka Modric and Bale moved to Madrid a year apart in the 2010s. Spurs’ move to their new stadium in 2019 was meant to change all that, but it didn’t stop Kane departing for Bayern Munich in 2023 when his deal had a year left to run. It’s uncontroversial to list Kane (Tottenham and England’s all-time top scorer), Modric (a Ballon d’Or winner) and Bale (arguably Britain’s greatest-ever footballing export) as Spurs’ three best players of the 21st century. In terms of talent, Son is in the rung just below them. In terms of legacy, he outstrips them all. They all left to win their trophies; he won his with Spurs. (Photo: Getty)

Son's next move?

There will be some who contest that Son’s limited contribution to the Europa League win weakens that argument. He only played 31 minutes of the final, in which time he had 13 touches, attempted six passes and had zero shots. But doing so would miss the point. For all of the goals and assists, the unwavering devotion, the personalised handshakes and camera celebrations, the thousands of signed autographs at Hotspur Way, Son deserved that trophy just as much as anyone, if not more. His teammates cherish him. James Maddison held a sobbing Son in his arms at full-time in Bilbao. Maddison, the Harry Potter superfan, the books about The Boy Who Lived, congratulating his captain, The One Who Stayed. Winning that trophy should give Son the freedom to dictate his next move. The Athletic reports that LAFC, where his long-term ally Hugo Lloris plays, are pushing to sign Son this summer. (Photo: Getty)

The right time for him and Spurs?

Thomas Frank was non-committal on Son’s future last week, and his admission that he is unsure who will captain the team next season further fuelled speculation that he could leave. It would be a big loss for Spurs, but perhaps one more keenly felt off the pitch in the dressing room and around the training ground than on it, where hints of decline have crept in. Maybe now is the right time for him and for Spurs. Nobody is questioning his legendary status anymore. There is a new one to ask instead: Where would you like your statue? (Photo: PA)