Son Heung-min blames himself for Antonio Conte's departure from Tottenham

Son Heung-min says he feels "responsible" for Antonio Conte's exit from Tottenham and admits he should have played better during his reign.

The 30-year-old forward has failed to replicate his excellent form from last season and beyond.

After finishing as joint-top scorer in the previous Premier League campaign, he helped Spurs finish fourth during Conte's debut season in charge, building on that almost-telepathic relationship with Harry Kane.

But the South Korean international has netted just six times in the league this season, a record he knows isn't good enough. In fact, Son thinks his poor form played a part in Antonio Conte's departure.

Speaking after South Korea's 2-1 friendly loss to Uruguay on Tuesday, he said: "As a player, I am really sorry. He's a world-class coach, and we had a great journey together.

"I should have played better. I feel responsible for his departure, because I haven't helped the club all that much.

"I am grateful for what he's done. He's such a great coach and has so much experience. I will be rooting for him."

Conte has often expressed his admiration for Son. Last year, as part of a club documentary on his first 202 days as Spurs manager, he labelled the forward "a dream for any manager".

The Italian said: "For every manager, if you want to win, you need players of great talent.

“Sonny impressed me for the commitment, for the attitude, for the behaviour – he is a really good guy. But I think many people don’t know the man, the person that you find in Sonny. He always has a smile on his face.

“For sure he is a positive person. He is an important player for Tottenham. Every manager dreams of having this type of talent in your hands.”

Image credit: Alamy

Conte, who was relieved of his duties on Sunday after just 17 months in charge, broke his silence on Monday evening following his departure.

"Football is passion. I would like to deeply thank everyone at Spurs who appreciated and shared my passion and my intense way of living football as a coach," he wrote on Instagram.

"A special thought to the Fans who always showed me support and appreciation, it’s been unforgettable to hear them singing my name. Our journey together has ended, I wish you all the best for the future."

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