Champions League moments – Heung-Min Son

Heung-Min Son lit the touch paper against Borussia Dortmund, created history at the new stadium and helped fire us into the semi-finals of the Champions League with his quickfire double at the Etihad.

Yet typically of this humble superstar from South Korea, Sonny, reminiscing on our road to Madrid, only has eyes for Amsterdam.

“There are so many special memories, especially the City games, but the Ajax game, for me, is the biggest moment this season,” he told us this week.

Sonny will go down in Spurs history as the scorer of the first European/Champions League goal at our wonderful new stadium on that never-to-be-forgotten first night of European drama back in N17. And the importance of his second half winner in that first leg against City - alongside Hugo Lloris denying Sergio Aguero from the penalty spot - cannot be underestimated.

Without those flashes of brilliance, three goals in the second leg wouldn’t have mattered and there would be no Ajax and no final in Madrid to look forward to...

Champions League moments – Son shines against City

Spurs 1-0 City – QF, first leg – new stadium – 9 April

Goalless against the would-be treble-winners, Harry Kane injured, 12 minutes to go. The first leg of our quarter-final against City and the first European night at the new stadium was on a knife-edge.

Would 0-0 be enough against City? This is a team that would end the Premier League season with a home record of played 19, won 18, lost one. With the beauty of hindsight, we know 0-0 wouldn’t have been enough. But that doesn’t matter - we had a player ready to take a grip of the tie.

First, the goal that made history and gave us that crucial advantage. Christian Eriksen clipped the ball into Sonny right side of the area. Sonny did well to keep the ball from creeping over the byline. Then, in a flash, he turned inside Fabian Delph and drove past Ederson with his left foot. Delirium for 60,000 fans. Sonny’s moment in Spurs history. Advantage Spurs.

That famous Sonny smile was beaming afterwards. “I hope people don’t forget me after 50, 60 years!” he said at the time. “I feel great. It’s amazing.”

Looking back again this week, he added: “I’m very lucky, very happy. We won the first Champions League home game. The pass from Christian was brilliant, I missed the first touch but didn’t give up. It wasn’t out, I played on and then luckily turned the ball inside and shot.

“I still have in my head these memories, unbelievable. I’m so grateful for the team and our amazing supporters. It was tough, but it's the greatest moment for me this season.

“The second game was the craziest game I’ve ever seen..."

City 4-3 Spurs – QF, second leg – Etihad Stadium – 17 April
Aggregate 4-4, Spurs win on away goals

Yes, that second leg. Where to start? City forged ahead early through Raheem Sterling only for Sonny to hit a quickfire double to put us 2-1 up on the night and 3-1 up on aggregate. Suddenly, City needed four goals. By the hour, they had them as Bernardo Silva, Sterling and Sergio Aguero made it 4-2 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate.

We’d lost Moussa Sissoko in the first half as well but the man who replaced him turned out to be the hero as Fernando Llorente turned home Kieran Trippier’s corner on 73 minutes, the goal awarded after a VAR review. It was 4-4 on aggregate and we were ahead on away goals with time running out.

But of course, that wasn’t it. There was still an agonising twist. Sterling looked like he’d won it for City in added time but as our players slumped to the turf in despair, VAR stepped in again, Aguero was ruled offside in the build-up and the goal disallowed. It stayed 4-3 on the night, 4-4 on aggregate and we progressed to the last four on away goals.

“It was difficult, a tough opponent, one of the best teams in the world, but we believed in ourselves,” reflected Sonny. “We are strong a well.

“We were 1-0 down after five minutes, then we scored three minutes later, two goals and those first 10 minutes were like 90 minutes. Again, the team did an amazing job and that’s why we’re still here.”