Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs successfully came back from several difficult situations to reach the Champions League final.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has issued a bold response to being asked if he ever thought Spurs were out of the Champions League at any point.
The Lilywhites initially struggled in the competition this season, taking only one point from their first three group stage games.
However, late goals in wins over PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan, before an 85th-minute strike from Lucas Moura against Barcelona at Camp Nou, took Tottenham through to the knockout stage.
Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City were then seen off in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively, before a 1-0 first-leg home defeat to Ajax and a 2-0 half-time deficit in the second leg in Amsterdam left Tottenham with a mountain to climb.
Lucas Moura’s two second-half goals put Tottenham right back in the tie but, with the clock ticking past the minimum five-minute mark in injury time, it looked like Spurs were home-bound, only for the Brazilian to seal his hat-trick and propel his side into the final on away goals.
Tottenham’s official website asked Winks if he had given up the ghost at any point and his reply was: “Honestly, no. The only time you can say that is on the final whistle of the final game. We’ve scored late goals in the group, in the knockout, in the semi-final, such dramatic scenes.
“That epitomises the club and the squad, we never give up, so many important late goals. You can never think it’s over. We’ve really had to graft and show character and mental strength. It’s an incredibly story for us to get to the final – the way we’ve got there is even better.”
Mauricio Pochettino’s charges will face fellow Premier League side Liverpool in the final, which takes place at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium, on Saturday 1 June, for the right to lift the Champions League trophy.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
