Exclusive with Son Heung-min: The Tottenham Hotspur captain is tuning out distractions as he pursues the ‘ideal challenge’ in the Europa League final.

Son Heung-min has expressed that winning the UEFA Europa League would complete the “perfect puzzle” of his decade-long tenure at Tottenham Hotspur.

The South Korean forward, who joined Spurs in 2015, has yet to lift a trophy during his time in north London, with the club last claiming a major title in 2008. However, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon as Spurs prepare to face Manchester United in the final of Europe’s second-tier competition next Wednesday, a match that will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on May 21.

Son believes that his time at Spurs is “missing one piece,” and securing a trophy would finally complete the “perfect puzzle.” In an interview with TNT Sports, he stated that without a trophy, he cannot be considered a Spurs legend, despite his impressive goal tally and contributions to the team.

The current Spurs captain shared, “The 10 years have been fantastic, but obviously missing something. When you’re thinking about the puzzle, it is just missing one piece that makes the perfect puzzle. So I can make it this year, next Wednesday.”

He continued, “The boys want to win something for me, I can see that, I feel it, and I really, really appreciate that and also the fans. But for me, I think it’s not all about me; I want to do it for them. I want to do it for the team, the staff, and the fans.”

Reflecting on his time at the club, the 32-year-old noted, “It has gone really fast, to be fair, and look, I think there’s no hiding – I stayed here because I want to win, because nobody has done it since I joined. The last trophy was 2008, but I stayed here because I wanted to do something that nobody has done. This year, we might change this history.”

Spurs are currently facing a challenging domestic campaign, sitting 17th in the Premier League table, just one place above the relegation zone. Their recent defeat against Crystal Palace marked their 20th loss in the league this season, the highest number of defeats they have suffered in a single Premier League campaign.

Individually, it has also been a disappointing season for Son, who has netted just seven goals in the league and faced criticism from some sections of the fanbase. He admitted that it has been a “very difficult season” but emphasized that he does not pay attention to “outside noise.”

Son acknowledged the challenges of managing the emotions within the dressing room, particularly given the youthful nature of the squad. However, he remains optimistic that the team’s youth could lead to a quick turnaround in fortunes. “Because we have such a young group of players, I think they could have a quick turnaround if you play well,” he said. “They’re going really high up, and when they play down, they’re really in the dark; there is no between. So sometimes for me, it’s very hard to control it, but I try to always help the team.”

Discussing his own form and the criticism he has faced, Son remarked, “I don’t really listen to the outside noise; I know my quality, I know my ability. I’ve been here 10 years, very consistent, and people can say what they want, but they don’t see how I work, how I grow up, and I still think that I have a quality, that I have no doubt.”

He concluded, “I’m concentrating on my job, I’m concentrating on my training session, I’m concentrating on my game. I care about my team-mates and my staff, that they’ll be successful because they work hard.”