(It took) too long to win, I’m sorry.

Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) recalled the fans and teared up.

Tottenham secured a 1-0 victory against Manchester United (Man U) in the single-elimination final of the 2024-2025 season UEFA Europa League (UEL) held at Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain, on the 22nd (Korea Standard Time).

In the 41st minute of the first half, Johnson broke the deadlock. He dashed forward to connect with a cross coming from the left flank. The ball deflected off a Manchester United defender. Seeing the slightly curved ball, Johnson quickly extended his foot. The ball was pulled into the back of the Man U net. The Tottenham players embraced each other in joy.

Son Heung-min, who was on the bench, was substituted for Richarlison in the 67th minute with the team leading 1-0. He returned to the field after being sidelined for a month due to a foot injury, gaining match experience in two Premier League matches leading up to this game. He played about 30 minutes in the match against Crystal Palace on the 11th and started the game against Aston Villa on the 17th, playing for over 70 minutes.

According to the European statistics site 'FootMob,' Son Heung-min played for 23 minutes (excluding stoppage time), recorded 13 touches, had a passing success rate of 33% (2 successes / 6 attempts), a dribble success rate of 100% (1 success / 1 attempt), made 1 defensive action, recovered 3 times, and achieved a ground ball contest success rate of 40% (2 successes / 5 attempts).

Son Heung-min, who sat on the bench during the first half and cheered for Johnson's goal, was active after being brought on midway through the second half. He tried to create a shooting opportunity in the 81st minute by exploiting a counter-attack situation. However, he could not control the ball effectively due to a defensive challenge. He also stepped up as the free-kick taker in the 85th minute.

After the match, Son Heung-min said in a broadcast interview with Sporty Pie, “I think it's my philosophy to always choose a difficult path and seek out the path that seems impossible. It’s also what I most want to do. I’m happy to have achieved something that no one has done in Tottenham in the past 10 years. Thanks to you, what I’ve been thinking has become possible. I was able to create a perfect puzzle thanks to your support, encouragement, and love. I sincerely thank you.”

When asked about the emotions he felt right after confirming the championship, Son Heung-min replied, “It’s an emotion that cannot be expressed in words. I thought about all the efforts I’ve made, the people who have sacrificed a lot for me, and those who have loved me.”

He recalled his teammates and said, “Thank you is not enough. I thought this season was the toughest I’ve had in my 10 years at Tottenham. Seeing the young players overcoming challenges together and working hard toward a common goal inspired me greatly. I want to thank my teammates, who must have had a hard time dealing with a somewhat incompetent leader, for not giving up until the end and showing such a wonderful performance.”

Finally, he said a few words to the Korean fans.

Overcome with emotion when asked the question, Son Heung-min said, “I’m overwhelmed with emotion,” as he teared up, “There are people who like me and those who don’t, but I want to sincerely apologize to those who have liked me for taking so long. I hope that those who do not like me can feel even a little bit of affection towards me through this. I’m proud to have been born Korean. I sincerely thank the fans who played the biggest role in putting together the perfect puzzle. I will continue to do my best to bring you joy.”

As Son Heung-min said, it took a long time to lift the first trophy in his career.

Making his professional debut in Hamburg, Germany, in 2010, Son Heung-min joined Tottenham in 2015 after playing for Bayer Leverkusen, experiencing near misses several times along the way. He finished as the runner-up in the Premier League in the 2016-2017 season, and in the 2018-2019 season, he was runner-up after losing to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) final. He also fell short against Manchester City in the EFL Cup final in the 2020-2021 season.

The only title Son Heung-min had experienced before this day was the gold medal he won at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games as a member of the South Korean national soccer team.

Finally, Son Heung-min lifted a trophy with his club. He realized his dream of winning 15 years into his professional career.

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