Son Heung-min’s final outing in a Tottenham shirt had all the emotion you’d expect – but it also featured a hilarious moment that only Korea could deliver.
The Spurs legend played 65 minutes in a 1–1 draw with Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly in Seoul, marking the end of a glittering 10-year career with the club. As he left the field, Son was given a touching guard of honour by both sets of players and was visibly moved, wiping away tears in front of an adoring home crowd.
After more than 450 appearances, countless goals, and a long-awaited European trophy, the 33-year-old is now set to join MLS side Los Angeles FC.
But before the serious farewells came the surreal.
A day prior to the match, Son and his Spurs teammates were treated to a cultural welcome in the South Korean capital, where they met local celebrity – and literal giant – Choi Hong-man. The former MMA fighter, known as the “Korean Colossus,” stands 7’2″ and weighs in at 160kg.
Naturally, he put that hulking frame to work by picking up Son and cradling him like a toddler, much to the forward’s amusement. Choi later play-fought with other Spurs players, locking Pape Matar Sarr in a bearhug and leaving Richarlison visibly stunned by his sheer size.
A staple of the K-1 and MMA scene in the 2000s, Choi famously fought heavyweight icons Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Cro Cop, and was even briefly lined up to face Brock Lesnar before a medical issue scrapped the bout.
With his towering frame and wrestling background, it’s tempting to imagine Choi Hong-man giving football a go himself. He might not have the finesse of Son, but at 7’2″, he’d be unstoppable in the air – just imagine trying to mark him at a corner.
Peter Crouch, eat your heart out.
