Micky van de Ven has admitted that everyone at Tottenham Hotspur are keen to go one step further than they did in the 2019 Champions League final by lifting the Europa League trophy on Wednesday.
It is funny how life works. As a boyhood Ajax fan, Micky van de Ven had his heart broken in 2019 when Lucas Moura produced a sensational hat-trick in the second half at the Johan Cruyff Arena to take the Lilywhites to their first ever Champions League final.
The night in Amsterdam will always be remembered fondly by the Tottenham faithful, but the campaign ended in heartbreak as the Lilywhites lost to Liverpool in the final in Madrid.
One can argue that the club still have not recovered from that night at the Metropolitano Stadium, with Mauricio Pochettino sacked as Spurs boss just months later and the Lilywhites struggling for sustained consistency ever since.
Micky van de Ven wants Europa League glory
Six years on, Tottenham now have an opportunity to banish the memories of the Champions League final once and for all as they once again make a trip to Spain to play Manchester United in the Europa League final.
Van de Ven, who was left heartbroken by the Lilywhites in 2019, is now looking to be a hero for Spurs and write his name into the club’s history books.
The Dutchman was informed that chairman Daniel Levy gifted every Spurs player an engraved watch in 2019 and was asked if he is hoping for a repeat this time out.
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Van de Ven responded to GQ Magazine: “In 2019 they were second, so it’s now up to us to make sure that we come first, and then we can see what might happen. I think I will treat myself with something special to always look at it and think, Ah, this is because I reached a European final in my career.”
Tottenham players are aware of what is at stake
From the noises coming out of the Spurs camp over the last few days, it is clear that the Tottenham players are acutely aware of just what winning the trophy will mean to the club.
Heung-min Son has said the Europa League final will be the biggest day of his life, with the Spurs captain admitting that he is keen to make history