The Dutchman has taken on the mantle from the Tottenham Hotspur legend who was in attendance to watch his latest impressive performance
Xavi Simons celebrates after scoring in the Champions League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Slavia Prague
Xavi Simons is looking to build his own legacy at Tottenham Hotspur in the number seven shirt that Son Heung-min wore with distinction over a decade in the Premier League.
Son was back in N17 on Tuesday night to witness the unveiling of a mural of him on the high street and say a proper farewell to the crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The former Premier League star played his final game for the club in August during a pre-season friendly against Newcastle in South Korea.
The 33-year-old brought a close to his time at Spurs after 454 appearances, 173 goals and captaining them to their Europa League triumph in May in his last competitive match before his summer move across the Atlantic to play for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer.
On Tuesday night Son stepped back on the turf in front of the Tottenham fans before the Champions League victory against Slavia Prague and declared: “I will always be Spurs.”
The South Korean star then watched on as the man who took his shirt number, Xavi, continued to show his quality after finally bedding in following his £52million move from RB Leipzig. The 22-year-old Dutchman scored from the spot and was a creative force throughout the 3-0 win against the Czech side.
Xavi and Son’s paths did not cross this summer but the young midfielder is looking to honour the former Premier League Golden Boot winner by creating his own legacy at the north London club with the number seven.
“I didn’t meet Son personally [before] and only now a little bit. He is a big legend for the club and it’s a real pleasure for me to take this number and build my own legacy, so really happy to meet him,” said the Netherlands international.
“It is really nice to score the goals, but feeling great on the pitch, that is the most important for me and I’m enjoying it and really happy to be in this moment.”
Mohammed Kudus also netted a penalty during an electric Champions League performance and the Ghanaian revealed what Son told the dressing room when he popped in to see his old team-mates.
“He said ‘keep going, it’s a long season, a long journey’ and to focus and keep doing what we are doing,” said the 25-year-old.
“He is a legend here. I wish we played together a bit longer because I only had a few games with him in pre-season, but it’s really good to have him here. He is a big example to all of us here in how to represent the club and do our best for the club.
“It was a pleasure to have him in the dressing room and talk a little bit with him. I am just sad we didn’t play together, but that’s football. It was nice to see him.”
Another player who got a big ovation on the night was Son’s best friend Ben Davies, who came off the bench for his first minutes of the season in his 11th year at the club.
“It was really nice to see him. I miss him day-to-day being around the place, but we still stay in touch all the time,” said the defender. “It’s great for the club and all the fans to have a good send-off for him.
“It was nice to win for him. He keeps being the good luck charm for this club. He was very emotional [about his mural] and it meant a lot to him to have his stamp on the area.”