Son Heung-min has declared himself the “happiest man in the world” after finally lifting a trophy with Tottenham Hotspur, as the club ended its 17-year wait for silverware with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday.
The South Korea international, who joined Spurs a decade ago and stands as the club’s fifth-highest goalscorer of all time, had previously experienced numerous near misses in his pursuit of a major honor.
“Wow, an amazing feeling!” Son told TNT Sports. “Today is the day the dream came true. Happiest man in the world to be honest.”
Son was the only member of the Spurs squad who played in the 2019 Champions League final defeat to also feature in another European final six years later. After a decade of striving, the 32-year-old admitted he felt the immense pressure to finally deliver.
“I felt the pressure,” he added. “I wanted it so badly. The last seven days I was dreaming about this game every single day. Finally it happened, I can rest easy. Today is the day we can celebrate. Maybe I’ll miss the flight (home)!”
The triumph not only secured Tottenham’s first European trophy since 1984 but also guaranteed their place in next season’s Champions League, despite a dismal domestic season that sees them languishing 17th in the Premier League.
Son, a national icon in South Korea, also extended a special word of thanks to his devoted fans back home who stayed up through the night to witness his success. “I’m very proud to be Korean. I want to say thank you to the Korean fans,” he said. “It was 4am (kick-off) there and they are supporting me like crazy.”
The emotional victory marks a significant milestone in Son’s illustrious career and for a Tottenham Hotspur club that has long craved major silverware.
