What Tottenham stars did to Ange Postecoglou during celebrations speaks volumes

Tottenham's players dragged a reluctant Ange Postecoglou into their celebrations after winning the . Spurs edged past in Wednesday's final in Bilbao.

Brennan Johnson's scrappy first-half goal proved to be the difference, though Spurs were indebted to Micky van de Ven for a brilliant goalline clearance and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who pulled off a superb late save.

Spurs will not care about that though, with their 17-year major trophy drought now ended. It has been a difficult second season in charge for Postecoglou, with his side's league form nosediving amid a number of injury crises.

His position as manager had even come under threat, though he now joins an exclusive club of bosses to lead Spurs to a European trophy. The Australian has been a staunch supporter of his squad despite their poor performances this term.

Those players repaid Postecoglou for his faith on Wednesday night, by defending their lead against United. And as the celebrations began in earnest, those stars ensured that Postecoglou was at the heart of it all.

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The trophy lift was held on a podium on the pitch, with the Spurs team gathering on it. After being handed his medal, Postecoglou opted to stand away from his squad and snubbed several invitations to join them.

Eventually right-back Pedro Porro, who played all 90 minutes of the final, pulled his manager into a hug and dragged him into the main group. A series of players then pushed the Australian forward, with Postecoglou ending up in the middle of the second row.

Captain Son Heung-min then stepped up and lifted the trophy. Postecoglou was later pictured hugging his family on the pitch, with the Australian left overwhelmed by his side's achievement.

“I understand why it would be difficult for a club like this to buy into one person’s vision. I remember even when I signed, the club and even Daniel said, ‘we went after winners, it didn’t work and now we’ve got Ange’, but mate, I’m a winner," he said.

“I have been a serial winner my whole career. It’s what I have done more than anything else. Obviously the way things have gone in the league, people are right to be concerned about, but I don’t think that’s a true reflection of where it is at.

“We’ve got a really young group of players and you can talk to them about success and what it means, but until they feel it, it doesn’t become real. I’ve got no doubt that all those boys – having this feeling – will want it again.

"They’ve climbed the mountain now. They know what it takes to get to where we are. I think that does, it accelerates the opportunities to build a team who can be successful and play at a high standard for years to come.

“I think when we got to the end of January, the end of the transfer window, and assessed our situation, I just made a decision there and then that this was the trophy we were going to go for.

“That’s come at a cost, for sure, in the league and I’ve got to take the responsibility for that. I just felt like the end-game of winning something was more important and it was the only way I was going to do it.”

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