Tottenham Hotspur Owes Huge Debt To One Star

Supporters walk past a stand selling teams goodies outside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, ... [+] prior to the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, on September 30, 2023. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

One of the most remarkable features of matchdays at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is how many fans travel to North London for one player.

From the hospitality suites to the nosebleed seats, supporters who travel from overseas to watch Spurs overwhelmingly do so for Heung Min Son.

Wearing cardboard Son face masks and jerseys with his name on the back, the South Korean contingent has become a permanent fixture over the past decade, cheering whenever the forward gets the ball.

Son, the greatest South Korean soccer player ever, was the first star from Asia to win the Premier League Golden Boot and play in the UEFA Champions League final.

Named Asian Football Confederation international player of the year a record four times, not even the trailblazing Park Ji-Sung comes close to the stardom the Tottenham Hotspur striker has achieved.

On the field, his performances for Spurs have been so consistently brilliant that we almost take for granted how good a player he is and how incredibly down-to-earth he is.

Back in South Korea, Son has rightly earned the status of a national hero and wears the lofty honor with admirable modesty.

As former team-mate and friend Moussa Sissoko told the BBC when Son reached 100 goals in the Premier League: "He always finds it easy to laugh and talk with people.

"He tries to motivate everyone. When the dressing room is sad for some reason, he's always there to make you smile again.

"Sometimes you come in after training, or after a game, when you've had a bad moment, and to have someone like him is very important. Sonny is this type of player. If you ask anyone, they'll tell you the same. He's a top man, a top player, a top human being."

He's also incredibly loyal, remaining with Tottenham Hotspur through good and bad moments.

Even when his close pal and foil on the field, Harry Kane, pushed for a move away, Son stayed in a manner that may have been to his detriment when he looks back on his career.

As former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood once said, "No one ever questions his loyalty to Tottenham; no one ever does because he is a humble boy. Long may it continue."

While it is easy to appreciate his dedication as a player, it is harder to quantify his value as an asset to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, a new report by the sports blockchain, Chiliz, revealed the extent Spurs owe Son for putting the club amongst the elite of overseas fanbases.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 19: Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur FC celebrates after scoring his ... [+] team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and West Ham United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 19, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

Spurs had the sixth-most fans globally, ahead of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich, according to the 'The Global Fan' report, which surveyed 8,000 soccer fans across the UK, USA, Brazil, South Korea, Nigeria, Japan, Italy, and Turkey.

Unsurprisingly, Tottenham Hotspur's high standing came from the scale of its Son-inspired fandom in South Korea, where a whopping 42% cited the North London side as their favorite team.

Commenting on the research, the club's chief revenue officer, Ryan Norys, said the club had been leaning into the popularity in Asia.

"Regardless of location, it is of paramount importance to us that all fans feel they are part of the Spurs family," he said.

"One region that has truly become a hotbed for our support is South Korea. We're immensely proud of our strong following there, which has grown significantly in recent years.

"Our aim is to build a long-lasting and meaningful relationship with our South Korean supporters to ensure we keep them connected to our club for years and generations to come.

"We have actively engaged with our fans in the region, making multiple trips for preseason tours. These visits have been essential in not just strengthening our fan base but in laying the foundations of a solid support network.

"But it's never just about playing matches - we know fans desire more than that. We've had a clear focus on interacting with the fans, understanding how they connect with football, and tailoring our approach to deepen that connection."

Playing matches is essential, though. As Tottenham Hotspur has visited Asia every summer a preseason tour has been possible with travel restrictions for the past five years.

But what's so interesting about Tottenham Hotspurs' success is that it demonstrates the power of the individual player to win a fanbase.

Although it plays in the most popular league on the planet and has challenged at the top of the division for spells in Son's tenure, nobody would describe it as a particularly glorious period in the club's history. As rival fans relish pointing out, a trophy has yet to arrive at the club in close to 15 years.

An explanation of sorts can be found in the regional differences the Global Fan report uncovered.

Chiliz found that in Asia respondents to the survey cited individual players as a primary reason to support their overseas team, with 58% of South Koreans and half of Japan's fan base stating that's why they'd picked their club.

This trend was demonstrated in Brighton and Hove Albion being ranked the 8th most popular side in Japan, ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea, possibly because it possesses exciting local talent, Karou Mitoma.

The question for Tottenham Hotspur is whether it can maintain this level of support amongst Koreans when Son leaves or retires.

A decade spent in North London has established strong ties with supporters in Asia. Still, it remains to be seen if that will translate into families encouraging their children to follow the club on the other side of the world.

Norys and the rest of the Spurs hierarchy will hope that is the case, but the truth is, we don't know.

Regardless of how long-lasting Tottenham Hotspur's popularity in South Korea is, one thing is abundantly clear: the club would not be in the top ten rankings for any global fan survey were it not for the steadfast loyalty of their continental superstar Son.