Son Heung-min has revealed that he came close to leaving Tottenham, but has claimed that staying at the club made his “dream come true”.
After an underwhelming first season in England following a move from Bayer Leverkusen, the South Korean asked for a move back to the Bundesliga, but has admitted that he is glad to have stayed in north London.
Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said: “I came close to leaving. I went to the gaffer’s office and told him I didn’t feel comfortable and wanted to leave for Germany.
“The gaffer trusted me and I am so grateful.
“He made my dream come true. I am more than grateful [to him] — it is difficult to say. I have worked four years with the gaffer. It is just amazing.”
OPINION
Son’s story shows the value of having patience in a player and trusting in his ability. It would be misguided to say that losing him would have represented a blow to Spurs, because at that time nobody realised the player that he would grow in to, but on the basis of what he has achieved since, there isn’t a single supporter who won’t be grateful that he stayed put. The South Korean has established himself as one of the most lethal attacking talents in the Premier League. It’s testament to the approach that Mauricio Pochettino has taken to building his squad, and slowly but surely, Spurs are starting to see the benefit of his patience. If Son had played for Manchester United or Chelsea, for instance, it’s easy to envisage a situation in which he would have been shipped off before he was able to make any kind of impact. Say what you like about Tottenham and their lack of a winning mentality, but they know how to get the best out of players.