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Antonio Conte's Tottenham squad are now enjoying a well-earned breather before returning to Hotspur Way on Tuesday to continue their pre-season preparations. Working extremely hard on their tour of South Korea, the squad departed the country on Sunday and will have Monday off before the hard work starts all over again.
The tour was a major success for the club, with thousands of fans greeting Son Heung-min and the rest of the squad at the airport on arrival, watching them train and then play two games against Team K League and Sevilla. Securing a 6-3 win over the former last Wednesday, Spurs rounded off their summer tour with a 1-1 draw against the latter in a feisty encounter at Suwon World Cup Stadium.
So who were the winners and losers from the tour? football.london takes a look.
READ MORE: Djed Spence delay, Conte's strange timing and huge financial impact of Tottenham's Korea tour
Winners
Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur
Unable to jet off across the globe on tour since their last pre-season adventure back in the summer of 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Son's incredible popularity meant that Tottenham were always going to make South Korea their first port of call once they could resume their summer tours.
With Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen doing likewise with the player in the past, it was quite simply an opportunity Daniel Levy and Tottenham couldn't afford to pass up. Seeing tickets for both games sell out in minutes, thousands of fans attended events put on by Spurs as they looked to meet their heroes.
Tottenham's popularity in South Korea is quite spectacular to see and the club were intent on seizing this incredible opportunity and making sure that fans continue to follow the club for decades to come. Spurs may have only had one week in Son's home country but their trip will have a huge impact at both Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and in South Korea in the years ahead.
Son Heung-min
What a week it has been for Son in his homeland. Truly worshipped in South Korea, all connected with Tottenham got a real insight into Sonnymania in the country. It really was a sight to behold.
Welcomed by thousands on arrival at the airport, more than 108,000 fans were in attendance across the two games and they were there in their droves for the club's open training session. All just wanted to get a glimpse of their idol in action.
Given a hero's welcome when he came on minutes into the second half in the win over Team K League, Son did manage to get two goals to his name in the first friendly before registering an assist in the second. It has been a very special week for the player and one all at Tottenham will never ever forget.
Harry Kane
Kane had a very good week in front of goal in South Korea with three strikes for Tottenham. Teeing up a goal with a wicked cross into the box minutes after coming on against Team K League, he then got a goal for himself not long after with a brilliant strike from outside the box.
The friendly match also saw him net a free-kick for Tottenham for the first time since November 2014 against Aston Villa. Much has been said by Spurs fans about the striker's struggles with free-kicks in recent seasons and he will have been extremely pleased to score direct from one in the first friendly.
On the scoresheet again in their next match with a well-taken finish after Son picked him out, Kane has looked very sharp in pre-season so far and the hope is that he will start the new campaign on fire.
Oliver Skipp
Skipp's absence through injury for the second part of the season had left Conte extremely frustrated as he desperately wanted his talented midfielder back to play a big role in their Champions League push. Having gone under the knife in April and then worked his way back to fitness ahead of his pre-season training return, the England U21 international took to the pitch for the first time since the middle of January against Team K League.
Putting himself about and calm and composed on the ball as usual, Skipp looked like he had not been away and caught the eye immediately with an assured display. Getting some more minutes in the tank against Sevilla, Conte will just be happy to have his midfielder back after so long on the sidelines.
Richarlison
A combination of different factors meant that Richarlison was the only one of Tottenham's five summer signings to make his debut out in South Korea. Starting through the middle in the first game before playing on the right of a three involving Kane and Son after the break, the £60million man started again in the second fixture against Sevilla.
Richarlison may not have got his name on the scoresheet in the two matches but he impressed with his work rate and ability on the ball as he slotted in with ease. He was also in the thick of the action during a half-time incident in the Sevilla match as he moved Son away from trouble after Gonzalo Montiel had confronted him.
A good start to life as a Tottenham player, the 25-year-old will be looking to catch the eye again in the remaining two friendlies as he looks to win a place in Conte's XI in the Premier League.
Lucas Moura
The acquisition of Richarlison has subsequently seen Lucas drop one place down the attacking pecking order as a result. Already struggling for minutes following Dejan Kulusevski's move to the club, the Brazilian could again find them hard to come by in 2022/23 now that he has another competitor.
Good going forward and also strong defensively, fans had called for the ex-PSG man to be utilised as a right wing-back last campaign given their struggles in the position. Well, Lucas did get minutes as a wing-back in both matches and looked right at home there, notably against Sevilla with some standout moments defensively.
Tottenham have strengthened in both wing-back positions this summer but they now have another option in Lucas going forward.
Young debutants under Conte
As is always the case in pre-season, a number of the club's youngsters were given their chance in the first team. Harvey White, who had been a regular on the bench for Tottenham in the remaining months of last season due to their lack of midfield numbers, was finally able to play for Conte as he came on in the second half against Team K League.
The ex-Portsmouth loanee didn't look out of place at all and performed well during his time on the pitch. Troy Parrott was another who looked right at home, slotting in up front and showing his qualities in the first friendly.
The tour of South Korea also saw Pape Matar Sarr make his Spurs debut after returning to N17 at the start of the month following his year on loan with Metz. All three will now be hoping that more pitch time comes their way in the final two friendlies.
Losers
Yves Bissouma and Fraser Forster
Taking four of their five new signings to South Korea with them, Spurs were handed a blow leading up to the first friendly following the news that both Bissouma and Forster would be absent due to Covid. As a result, the pair had to stay in their hotel rooms and unfortunately miss out on valuable training, playing and bonding time with their new teammates.
Both will not fly back to the UK until Tuesday morning when their isolation ends in South Korea, with a member of the medical staff remaining behind to accompany them. Due to arrive back on Tuesday evening before linking up with the squad again on Wednesday, the duo will be looking to make up for lost time and take to the pitch on Saturday against Rangers.
Fellow new signing Ivan Perisic may have also missed out on match action as he steps up his fitness from a calf issue, but there was some positive news for the Croat as he started to begin ball work with the rest of the squad on Friday after previously just doing fitness work at the start of the week.
The new signings who didn't make the trip
Tottenham confirmed the signing of Clement Lenglet from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal a day before their trip to South Korea but his arrival came too late for him to be involved on the tour. Without the necessary documentation to travel to Korea, the France international instead remained behind at Hotspur Way to work on his fitness ahead of the new campaign.
Although Spurs are still waiting to officially confirm the arrival of Djed Spence from Middlesbrough, many believed that a deal for the England U21 international would have been completed well before the pre-season tour. Unfortunately that wasn't the case with a breakthrough only coming at the end of last week, meaning Spence will instead link up with his new teammates this week once his move is signed off.
Really disappointing for both to not be on the trip as they missed out on some valuable bonding time with the rest of the squad, it won't be long until they get to work with their new teammates for the first time.
Joe Rodon
Another to not make the trip was Rodon. The player has had some rotten luck since his move to the club from Swansea City nearly two years ago and this time illness meant he couldn't be there in South Korea with his teammates.
Instead, the Wales international will have been keeping himself in top condition ahead of the squad returning to base. Missing out on some valuable playing time in the first two games, thankfully Spurs have another two fixtures coming up for the 24-year-old to feature in.
Ben Davies
Moving on to another Wales international, Davies didn't enjoy the best of endings to his time in South Korea after coming off injured in the closing stages against Sevilla. Landing awkwardly and helped off the pitch, the long-serving player did return minutes later before he was substituted off.
Conte and his Spurs staff were not taking any risk with him, especially with no need to do so ahead of the new season. Admitting that his player felt a bit of pain in his ankle, the head coach will be hoping for good news over the coming days as he needs everyone fit and firing ahead of the new campaign.
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