However, Son's farewell game ended on a sour note as his close friend James Maddison was stretchered off the pitch late on as the Spurs playmaker looked to have suffered a serious injury. In his native South Korea on Sunday, Son started Spurs' friendly against Newcastle and was substituted in the second half.

As Heung-min Son dropped to his knees at Bilbao's San Mames Stadium following the final whistle of the UEFA Europa League final in May, the emotional mix between a celebratory scream and loud cry was a familiar sight.