I'm Here to Win, I Will Perform: Son

'Global Icon' Embarks on a New Challenge After Sealing Record Deal With Los Angeles

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LOS ANGELES - South Korea star Son Heung-min said he was "here to win" as Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC welcomed the arrival of the "global icon" from Tottenham Hotspur on Aug 6.

The 33-year-old's two-year contract with an option for two more will reportedly cost LAFC an MLS record US$26 million (S$33.4 million), according to ESPN and The Athletic, after a decade in the English Premier League where he became a household name.

"I'm here to win, and I will perform," he said at an introductory press conference at BMO Stadium that was packed with US and South Korean media, fans and luminaries, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Son was already itching to get to work with his new teammates, after watching them beat Mexican club Tigres UANL 2-1 in a Leagues Cup match on Aug 5 amid support from fans energized by rumors of his signing.

"It was just, like, insane," he said. "I just wanted to run onto the pitch and show my performance."

An emotional Son announced on Aug 2 in Seoul that he would be leaving Spurs, just months after ending the club's 17-year title drought by lifting the Europa League trophy as captain.