Hugo Lloris declared the future will be bright for Tottenham as he said farewell to the club ahead of his move to Los Angeles FC.
Spurs announced on Saturday night that former captain Lloris would depart for the MLS side on a free transfer on January 1 and bring his 11-year association with the north London club to an end.
World Cup-winner Lloris, who has not played since April after he revealed in the summer his desire for a new challenge, was given the chance to say goodbye to the fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during half-time of Sunday’s match with Bournemouth.
“It's time for me to say goodbye but it's goodbye from the player not from the man. I will be a Spurs man for the rest of my life.”
Merci, Hugo 🤍 pic.twitter.com/EYjef5z1Wt— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 31, 2023
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Lloris said: “It’s fair to say time has run so fast. I enjoy every moment, the good moments, the bad moments.
“When you face difficulties, sticking together as a club, you can see the evolution is very positive. For sure, the future will be bright for Spurs.
“I believe that you (fans) make the club even more special and that is why I am so grateful to the fans for all the support I receive.”
Lloris made 447 appearances across 12 seasons for Spurs after he joined from Lyon in 2012.
Made captain by Mauricio Pochettino three years later, Tottenham reached the Champions League final in 2019 under Lloris’ captaincy.
He added: “I think to bring all the Spurs community to Madrid in 2019, we were close to making a big success but I think this team at that time earned a lot of respect from all the Spurs fans.
“I think we went through a lot of emotions and these memories will belong to generation after generation.
“A big thank you. It is time for me to say goodbye but it is a goodbye from the player and not the man, I will be a Spurs fan for the rest of my life.”
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou paid tribute to Lloris after their 3-1 win over Bournemouth and talked up his influence in the dressing room over the past six months, especially on current first-choice Guglielmo Vicario.
“He will definitely go down as a legend at this club, not just because of his appearances, but when you captain a big club like this for so long,” Postecoglou said.
“I said before I don’t think my opinion on him is paramount here because my services are fairly miniscule compared to his but in the time I’ve worked with him, he’s been an absolute professional and an absolute gentleman.
“I can see why he was highly regarded. He was great to have in the group, great for Vic to share a dressing room with a World Cup winner and it is a credit to him for the way he has conducted himself.
“I caught up with him a couple of days ago and wished him all the best. I know he will love the adventure of the MLS and doing something different in your career adds something to it.
“He goes off with our best wishes and an undeniable impact on this football club.”
