Share

Son revels in scoring landmark goal

Cape Town - Son Heung-min labelled himself the 'happiest guy in the world' after securing his place in Tottenham's history.

The South Korean became the first player to score a competitive goal at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs celebrated moving home by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 in a housewarming party to remember.

He takes his place in the record books alongside Tom Smith, who scored the first goal at White Hart Lane way back in 1899.

Asked if the goal, which was heavily deflected and eased the tension after a nervy opening 55 minutes, was the best moment of his Spurs career, he said: 'Yes, probably. Every single moment at Tottenham is special.

'It means a lot, especially tonight I am very proud of my teammates, proud of this stadium, proud of the fans. Everything is positive at the moment. I am really the happiest guy in the world.

'It is amazing, to play in this amazing stadium and give me this opportunity, it is unbelievable. It was a great result, that is the most important thing.'

Spurs were away for 689 days and had to play at Wembley 51 times while White Hart Lane was demolished and their majestic 62,062-seater stadium was built.

The win over Palace, which was secured by Christian Eriksen's late goal, was only the second time Spurs' players have been to the stadium but Son says it already feels like home.

'It sounded very loud,' he said. 'Wembley is one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world but it was not actually our home. 'We finally felt like we came back home, on the pitch, but also in the stands as well, it was so loud, it gave us a boost for this moment.'

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE