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20-year-old Tottenham star struggling to get chances sheds light on ‘big brother’ Heung-min Son’s support

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Dec 10, 2025 3:05 PM ET

Mathys Tel reveals the support Son Heung-min has been regularly showing him despite leaving Tottenham in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur were comfortable 3-0 winners against Slavia Praha in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

The night was even more special for the Spurs fans as Son Heung-min returned to the club to bid a final goodbye to the fans. It was the first time he came back to N17 after sealing a summer switch to MLS club Los Angeles FC. An emotional Son Heung-min addressed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful ahead of kick-off, receiving a rapturous reception, before watching his former side dispatch Slavia Praha comfortably on the night.

Earlier this week, the Lilywhites took advantage of a little-known UEFA regulation to make a key adjustment to their Champions League squad. With Dominic Solanke still sidelined through an ankle injury, Thomas Frank moved quickly to register Mathys Tel in his squad. The youngster came off the bench in the second half against Slavia Prague, although he could not make much of an impact.

Mathys Tel reveals being in regular contact with Son Heung-min

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the France Under-21 international at Tottenham since joining permanently from Bayern Munich in June. Tel has started only a handful of games under Thomas Frank due to stiff competition for places in attack. He has only managed to score two goals in 14 appearances for Spurs so far this season.

Tel only managed to play a handful of times with Son Heung-min during his time at loan in the second half of last season. The young forward has now revealed that despite Son departing Spurs in the summer, the South Korean star still messages him regularly. He has even described the 33-year-old as a “big brother”.

“This means a lot for the club and for me as well because Sonny is like my big brother,” Tel was quoted by The Standard.

“He is always texting me, his support is always behind me. Back in the Champions League, we won and Sonny was there, so a lot of good things.

“Sonny is a big legend at Tottenham, so when a guy like Sonny comes after he did everything, you give everything for him.”

Tottenham must not allow Tel to leave in January

There have been recent murmurings over Tel’s future at Tottenham. Serie A side AS Roma have expressed an interest in signing the Frenchman on loan in January for the rest of the campaign.

Frank has continued to prefer Richarlison and Kolo Muani up top, limiting Tel’s minutes. However, with Spurs competing in multiple competitions, keeping the squad depth intact for the entire campaign has to be one of the priorities. It is understandable Tel wants to start games and play regularly and could be open to a January departure on loan, but given the injury problems at the club and lack of depth, the Lilywhites must block any potential exit.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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