Why Son Heung-min declined to sign fan's Tottenham Hotspur shirt despite her asking

Tottenham star Son Heung-min declined to sign a fan's retro shirt in footage that has emerged on social media - and it appears there was a very good reason behind it.

Son has become one of the most popular players in both the Tottenham squad and the Premier League as a whole since he arrived at Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen back in 2015.

There have been numerous feel-good stories over the years that have emerged about the South Korea forward, including a report from The Telegraph which claimed that he had paid for a 'top chef' to cook 'high-end Korean food' for the behind-the-scenes staff at the club's training ground.

And in October, after a post-match interview on TNT Sports, Son shook the hands of each pundit, placed the microphone down, and raised both hands to the crew to thank them.

He is also the most popular athlete in his home country. According to reports, Son topped the Star Brand Reputation Index, which measures a person's popularity in South Korea, back in December. In doing so, he finished ahead of the world-renowned K-Pop band BTS.

So when Son politely declined to sign a fan's shirt when approached, there had to be a good reason behind it.

According to fans on X (Twitter), the 30-year-old forward was worried about ruining the shirt, which appears to be a retro shirt from between 1992 and 1995, with his signature.

Son does have a pen in his hand, though, meaning he will no doubt have signed other memorabilia for the fan.

On the pitch, Son will hope to help Spurs restore their spot in the top four places of the Premier League when they host Crystal Palace next Saturday afternoon.

Palace will have new boss Oliver Glasner in the dugout for the second time, as the former Frankfurt manager looks to get his reign off to a winning start today against Burnley.

Should Spurs pick up all three points, and Aston Villa lose to Nottingham Forest this weekend, Ange Postecoglou's side will indeed be back into the top four spots.