Tottenham captain Heung-Min Son has officially announced he will leave the club this summer, ending a remarkable 10-year spell in North London. The 33-year-old made the emotional announcement during a press conference in his native South Korea ahead of Spurs’ pre-season friendly against Newcastle on Sunday a match that could be his final appearance for the club. Head coach Thomas Frank confirmed Son will start and captain the team. Despite renewed interest from Saudi clubs, Son has expressed a strong desire to join Major League Soccer, with LAFC reportedly leading the race. Negotiations between Spurs and the MLS side are expected to accelerate in the coming days. “I have decided to leave the club this summer. Respectfully, the club is helping me with this decision,” said Son, visibly emotional. “It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. I need a new environment to push myself — a little bit of change. Ten years is a long time.” Son reflected on his journey from a 23-year-old arriving from Bayer Leverkusen to becoming a club legend and fan favourite. “I leave this club as a grown man, a very proud man. I want to thank all the Spurs fans for giving me so much love. I hope everyone can accept and respect my decision.” The South Korean star is fourth on Tottenham’s all-time scoring list, with 173 goals and 101 assists in all competitions — including 127 Premier League goals in 333 matches. His final competitive game for the club was the Europa League final victory over Manchester United in Bilbao. Son informed a few close teammates of his decision weeks ago, with new manager Frank being briefed before their first pre-season match against Reading.