Son Heung-min broke down in tears and was denied perfect send-off as he returns to Tottenham

Son Heung-min will be returning to Tottenham - having missed out on the chance to say goodbye to fans following his move to LAFC in the summer

Son Heung-min will make his triumphant return to Tottenham on Tuesday, four months after being denied the chance of a proper farewell. The former Spurs captain left abruptly in August, completing a surprise £20million move to MLS side Los Angeles FC.

The 33-year-old had been wrestling with his future for some time. After a decade in North London - 173 goals, countless iconic moments and finally ending the club's long trophy drought with Europa League glory in Bilbao - the moment felt right to draw the curtain on an extraordinary chapter.

The club, including new manager Thomas Frank, were prepared to be flexible. They believed Son had earned the right to choose the terms of his exit.

When LAFC's offer arrived in July, it handed Son the chance of a fresh, energetic start in a city with a vibrant Korean community - and gave Spurs the opportunity to cash in as he approached his mid-30s. The only downside was that the move robbed Son of the heartfelt farewell his talent, achievements and character so clearly deserved.

His final appearance came in a 1-1 pre-season draw with Newcastle - fittingly staged in Seoul, the South Korean capital. But while symbolic, it meant he never received the rapturous 62,000-strong farewell he would have enjoyed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Son left the field in tears, substituted to a guard of honour midway through the second half. Emotions had been running high all week. The forward had already fought back tears during the pre-match press conference, where he confirmed that the Newcastle fixture would be his last in a Spurs shirt.

"Before we start, I just want to share the information that I have decided to leave this club this summer. Respectfully, this club is helping me to make my decision," he said.

"It was the most difficult decision of my career. I have been here for 10 years. It's a beautiful club with beautiful fans. I have such amazing memories. It was so hard to make the decision. I just felt like I needed a new environment to push myself to get more out of me. I think I needed a little bit of change. 10 years is a long time.

"I came to north London as a kid. 23 years old, a very young age. A boy who couldn't speak English. I leave this club as a grown man. Thank you to all the Spurs fans who have given me so much love. It felt like it was my home. It was one of the toughest decisions I ever made. I think it is the right time to leave. I hope that everyone understands that and respects that."

Since moving to the United States, Son has been on fire. He's scored 12 goals in 13 matches, firing LAFC to a third-place finish in the MLS Western Conference and securing a playoff spot. However, they were knocked out on penalties in the last eight by the Vancouver Whitecaps - who went on to lose to Lionel Messi's Inter Miami in the final.

With the MLS season now over, Son's first port of call is a return to the club that put him on the map. Moments before Tottenham's Champions League clash with Slavia Prague kicks off on Tuesday, Son will be presented to the crowd, finally giving both him and the Spurs faithful the farewell they never had the chance to share.

"It will be emotional," Son admitted last week. "But it's important for me and the club that this happens. I never got a proper chance to say goodbye to fans at the stadium.

"Now I am so happy because I am going to come back to London on 9th December for the Champions League match and be able to tell the Spurs fans in person just how much their support and love over 10 years has meant to me and my family."