'I’ll never forget this moment' - Son on his 'incredible' homecoming

Heung-Min Son says he has been lifted up by the incredible homecoming at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Still hurting upon his return from South Korea’s shock semi-final exit to Jordan at the recent 2023 Asian Cup, Sonny has since been restored back to his positive best thanks to the warm welcome he received from our adoring Spurs supporters throughout the Brighton & Hove Albion encounter in N17 last time out.

Returning to the matchday squad for the first time this calendar year in our comeback win over the Seagulls, our Club captain has thanked fans for his unforgettable reception which served as a lovely reminder that there's no place quite like home.

"I would love to say thank you," said Sonny, speaking in an exclusive interview on SPURSPLAY.

"The game was not the best we want to reach but as soon as I came on, and even for the warm-up, everybody was clapping - it was an incredible feeling.

"You never expect that and, when you receive that reception, it makes you feel like you’re coming back home. Especially in that moment, I was still hurt after the tournament, so they lifted me up and it was incredible.

"It was a huge honour to receive a reception like that. It was one of the toughest weeks of my life, but you all made me very happy again. I’ll never forget this moment until the day I die."

Down 1-0 to Brighton after Pascal Gross' 17th-minute penalty, the 31-year-old was stripped and ready to come on as we looked for a way back into the game when Pape Matar Sarr levelled just after the hour mark.

Coming off the bench for the first time this season, our skipper felt a responsibility to help turn the game around and make an impact off the bench - just as he did with his cameo hat-trick at Leicester City last term - due to the electric atmosphere that ramped up even more upon his introduction on 62 minutes.

Then, with the score locked at 1-1 deep into stoppage-time, came the desired match-winning impact from the South Korea international. Following a swift move that turned defence into attack in seconds with some intricate play between Son, Maddison and Richarlison, the attacker was set free down the left by Richy and delivered an inch-perfect cross for fellow substitute Brennan Johnson to finish at the back post in front of jubilant scenes in the South Stand.

"Don’t forget last season I scored a hat-trick when I came on!" said Sonny with a wry smile. "I expected to score a hat-trick again but it didn’t happen.

"But still, coming on in a good moment just after we scored for 1-1 – the fans were right behind us - and then as soon as I came on the stadium went to another level.

"I felt like I needed to take a big responsibility to win the game, I wanted to help the team which is what I did and I was happy to see all my Spurs family back."

Sitting fourth in the Premier League and back at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (kick-off 3pm UK) as we push to finish the season strongly with 14 games remaining, Sonny has vowed to do everything in his power to make the Spurs faithful happy and proud by making this campaign a memorable one.

"I’ll make sure we make this season something special and for as long as I’m a Spurs player I’ll do my best to make you happy, smile and proud," he added.

"Thank you so much for your amazing support and welcoming me back. See you at the weekend."