By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- Newcastle United's preseason match against Tottenham Hotspur in Seoul on Sunday will take on extra significance for football fans in South Korea after Tottenham's South Korean captain Son Heung-min announced Saturday he will leave the Premier League club this summer.
The match at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. Sunday could be Son's final one with the North London club, and Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said on the eve of the match that he was looking forward to being part of it all.
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe directs his players during their preseason match against Team K League at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on July 30, 2025. (Yonhap)
I think he's one of the legends of the Premier League," Howe said at his prematch press conference in Seoul on Saturday. "I've never spent time with him, but he seems like an incredible professional and an incredible person. So it'll be a really great moment to share his last game for Tottenham against us, and hopefully, it's a memorable occasion for him."
Before managing Newcastle, Howe also coached AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League early in Son's England career, which started in 2015.
"We've come up against him many times. I thought he was fantastic," Howe said. "His pace, dribbling ability, desire to score goals ... I thought he was always one of the best players we've played against every season. The biggest test, I think, for a player's ability is consistency and longevity, and he's been able to do that consistently every year."
Accompanying Howe to the presser, Newcastle's new South Korean player, Park Seung-soo, said he watched Son's announcement earlier Saturday, and he respected the veteran's decision.
"I am sure it must not have been an easy decision," Park said. "And since tomorrow could really be his final match with Tottenham, I'd love to swap shirts with him."
Newcastle fell to Team K League, a squad of South Korean league All-Stars, 1-0 at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, about 30 kilometers south of Seoul, on Wednesday.
Now the reigning English Football League Cup champs will try to end their three-match losing skid in the preseason against the UEFA Europa League winners.
"I think it should be a really good game, two high-quality teams on show," Howe said. "We're hoping to build up performance levels as we go through preseason, so we're hoping for a really good performance."
Newcastle's two matches here are part of the annual Coupang Play Series, which has been bringing European clubs for preseason friendlies in South Korea since 2022. This is Newcastle's first trip to South Korea and Tottenham's third.
Park Seung-soo of Newcastle United controls the ball during a preseason match against Team K League at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on July 30, 2025. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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