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Tottenham ended their 17-year wait for a trophy as Brennan Johnson's first-half goal was enough to beat Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Victory means under-fire head coach Ange Postecoglou has fulfilled a promise to deliver silverware in his second season at Spurs.

Postecoglou, who said he would "never be a clown" in his pre-match address, brought smiles and unbridled joy to the faces of the 15,000 official, and many unofficial, Tottenham fans in Bilbao's San Mames Stadium.

Victory may not save Postecoglou from a Spurs exit in the coming weeks. But the Australian will leave as a hero after joining Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw in winning a European trophy with the north London giants.

In addition to following the lead of Newcastle and Crystal Palace in making this a season of glory for clubs who rarely win trophies, Tottenham are also set to benefit from a £100m windfall after qualifying for next season's Champions League.

As had to happen in a battle between the two lowest-placed teams ever to contest a European final, for the losers, there was no silver lining.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim will send his side into the final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa on Sunday with huge questions over his ability to make them competitive following their worst season since the 1973-74 relegation campaign.

Amorim enjoys the backing of the ownership but his decision to pick Mason Mount ahead of Alejandro Garnacho in an attacking role did not work. And with skipper Bruno Fernandes unusually subdued, United lacked the guile to drag themselves back into the game once they had fallen behind.

They came close to an equaliser with a Rasmus Hojlund header, following Guglielmo Vicario's error, that was acrobatically cleared off the line by Micky van de Ven midway through the second half.

Vicario then made a dramatic late save to keep out Luke Shaw's header.

The goal was scruffy, with some debate over whether Johnson got the last touch - and was totally in keeping with the tepid domestic seasons of these two underperforming sides, but no-one at Spurs will care about that.

On a night of clear tension and nerves, evident from both sides from the first minutes, and afflicting even the most experienced performers, it was always likely to require a little bit of luck to claim victory.

When Pape Matar Sarr floated over his cross as the first-half ticked to its conclusion, Johnson got ahead of Shaw to get the first touch.

It wasn't a particularly good touch and looked unlikely to trouble Onana. But once the ball hit Shaw at close quarters, the Manchester United goalkeeper was scrambling. Johnson lunged at the ball a second time. Whether he got there was debatable. But the damage was already done. Onana couldn't keep it out.

Up to that point, Tottenham had not had a shot on target. They were not to have another. It didn't matter a jot.

In his 100th game as Spurs boss, Postecoglou got his second season trophy, just as he did with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar in Australia, Yokohama F Marinos in Japan and Celtic in Scotland. The first English club to win a European competition had become the latest to do so, beating an English opponent for the second time after overcoming Wolves in the 1972 Uefa Cup final.

Postecoglou also won the Asian Cup two years after becoming Australia boss - and the Scottish championship in both seasons with Celtic.

The seven minutes of stoppage time signalled brought hope for United that they could save themselves in a European final, just as they did so famously back in 1999.

But those days are long gone.

Even more recent heroes in the form of Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, both present in Bilbao this week, can only lament what their old club has become.

Where there used to be invention and danger, now there is just poor decision making. It starts at the top of the club but was evident on the field deep in stoppage time when, with Bruno Fernandes on one side and Amad Diallo on the other, Leny Yoro decided he was the best option to shoot from 25 yards. It was off target.

Hojlund scooped a header over the bar. Amad was dangerous and in the dying embers of injury time, Vicario turned away a decent header from substitute Joshua Zirkzee.

But there was no great belief. Garnacho hooked the last chance into the side-netting.

United will have no European football next season for only the second time since English clubs were readmitted by Uefa in 1990. They will play in the Carabao Cup in August.

"I always win things in my second year. Nothing has changed. I don't say things unless I believe them."

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, having just seen his side lose 1-0 at home to rivals Arsenal back in September, was in defiant mood and that quote has followed and been repeated to him all season.

His side came close to proving him right earlier this year.

Spurs held a 1-0 lead after the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool, only to then capitulate 4-0 in the reverse fixture at Anfield.

But Tottenham fell at the fourth-round hurdle of the FA Cup, losing at Aston Villa, while the club are on course for their worst campaign in the Premier League era as they are 17th with one game to go and a mammoth 45 points behind champions Liverpool.

Yet, the 59-year-old Australian, who began working at Spurs in July 2023, is one game away from having the last laugh.

He will take charge of Spurs for the 100th time on Wednesday when they play Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao.

A win would take Spurs into the Champions League, silence Postecoglou's critics, maintain his superb second-year record and maybe keep him in his job.

He won the Australian title with both South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar and the Japanese league with Yokohama F. Marinos - all in his second season or second full season in charge.

Postecoglou also won the Asian Cup two years after becoming Australia boss - and the Scottish championship in both seasons with Celtic.

The 59-year-old did not see out two seasons in charge of the three clubs he failed to win anything at - smaller clubs Panachaiki and Whittlesea Zebras, and Melbourne Victory, whom he left after 18 months for the Australia job.

We have taken a look at how he has enjoyed second-season success throughout his career.

Matches: 113. Wins: 83 Draws: 12. Losses: 18. Goals scored: 284. Goals conceded: 108.

Postecoglou came to Celtic in June 2021, just after Steven Gerrard had guided Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title.

But the Australian did not need two seasons before winning, as he took the Bhoys to five trophies in his two years at the club.

In his first campaign they became Scottish champions and won the League Cup, before they added the Scottish Cup to make it a domestic treble in his second year with him then before moving to Tottenham.

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart had already won two Premier League titles with Manchester City before he was instrumental in Celtic's success. He felt one of Postecoglou's main strengths was getting his players to view the game in a different way and teach them new skills.

"He is top, really, really good," said Hart after Postecoglou's second Scottish title victory in May 2023. "He is really clear in what he wants and the biggest buzz for me is playing for someone who is pushing me and I am learning new things every day - it makes me feel alive.

"I have played in different teams that have been successful. Identity in football has always been there, but in terms of having a real way of playing, this is the first time I have been part of a team with that.

"I genuinely feel comfortable making risky passes, short passes, and if someone does miss a pass or a tackle and the ball goes in, I don't think any of us would even flinch because that's what we are being asked to do."

Matches: 161. Wins: 79. Draws: 30. Losses: 52. Goals scored: 313. Goals conceded: 228.

Before Celtic, Postecoglou had a three-and-a-half-year spell in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos.

He went there in January 2018 and almost won a trophy in his first 10 months, only to lose 1-0 to Shonan Bellmare in the J.League Cup.

But success was not too far away as his side then won the J1 League to become Japanese champions, finishing six points clear of FC Tokyo.

That title took the side into the Japanese Super Cup (their version of the Community Shield), but Yokohama could not add another trophy as they lost 3-2 on penalties against Vissel Kobe after Yokohama had fought back from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 down to leave it at 3-3 after 90 minutes.

"Ange really gave the club purpose," said Dan Orlowitz from the Japan Times.

"It was a refreshing style of football that the league hadn't really seen. Even when YFM struggled results-wise in 2018 it was very clear that the players and above all Ange believed in what he was doing.

"The fans believed in him as a result, and over the next year he let go of players who weren't a good fit for the system and brought in players who were a great fit. All of that added up to the triumph of 2019."

Matches: 49. Wins: 22. Draws: 12. Losses: 15. Goals scored: 86. Goals conceded: 58.

During his playing career, Postecoglou was a defender and represented Australia four times and in 2013 he got the chance to become his country's national manager.

At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Australia finished bottom of a tough group that also included the Netherlands, Chile and 2010 winners Spain.

Australia hosted the Asian Cup in January 2015 and Postecoglou guided the Socceroos to the final with a crowd of more than 76,000 watching the game against South Korea in Sydney.

Midfielder Massimo Luongo (now at Ipswich Town) put Australia ahead, before Son Heung-min, Postecoglou's current captain at Tottenham, equalised in the 91st minute to take the tie to extra-time. But James Troisi, who developed through Newcastle United's academy, scored the winner as Postecoglou and Australia celebrated a 2-1 victory to win the tournament.

Former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill was a key player for Australia at that time and, in an interview with Optus Sport in 2024,, external was full of praise for Postecoglou.

"I never knew Ange until he came to the Australia job, he had a great pedigree," said Cahill. "When you listen to him, everything he talks about is simple and logical - he wants the ball in play, action and intensity and that's what the players want.

"The way you look at a coach is their presence and secondly their training, everything was measured and calculated. What I love with Ange is he is very honest, very detailed. He has a really nice way about him and you see the way he connects with players."

Matches: 83. Wins: 42. Draws: 24. Losses: 17. Goals scored: 142. Goals conceded: 91.

Before becoming Australia manager, Postecoglou had an 18-month spell at Melbourne Victory, but was not there long enough to have a second full season.

That came after he had great success with another Australian side in Brisbane Roar. In a two-and-a-half-year spell, they won the A-League Championship in 2010-11 and retained their title the following year.

"Ange's massive strength is his ability to be able to bring players along that journey and buy into what he does," former Brisbane captain Matt Smith told BBC Sport.

"There's zero tolerance for players that don't want to follow. We were never made to feel comfortable, we were always pushing to be better, always developing, always working harder than any group I've experienced before.

"It didn't matter if you were the biggest player in the dressing room or the youngest - if you weren't pulling your weight or following his principles, he was very ruthless."

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"It's a crossroads moment."

That is the verdict of former Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen on the club's Europa League final against Tottenham on Wednesday.

Like all United fans, the Dutchman is coming to terms with a bitterly disappointing domestic campaign, and dreading the consequences of failure in Bilbao.

"It would be a silver lining. A win in the Europa League isn't going to make up for the most disastrous season," Meulensteen told BBC Sport, with United languishing 16th in the Premier League, and now condemned to their lowest top-flight finish for more than half a century.

"But if they don't win it, why would we expect anything different next season? The trophy would free up some finances to get players in.

"If they don't win it, we won't be in Europe, and I really worry what the future is going to look like."

With qualification for the lucrative Champions League the prize for the Europa League winners, and set against the backdrop of United's long decline, it is easy to see why the match is being portrayed as such a defining moment at Old Trafford.

But just how significant is it really?

"Financially, it's the most important match in the club's history," says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

"Champions League participation is crucial, because it could generate over £100m from tickets, broadcast money, and sponsor bonuses."

With four home games guaranteed, Maguire estimates that there could then be an additional £30m-£40m if United go deep into the competition.

While the benefits of being back in the expanded Champions League apply just as much to Spurs of course, United arguably need it more.

Spurs recorded an annual loss of £26m last year, while United's deficit was £113m over the same period. That took their total losses to £300m over the past three years.

The sense of underperformance is even more stark given United generated total revenue of £651m last year, the fourth highest by any club in world football.

But due largely to the leveraged takeover by majority owners the Glazer family in 2005, the club are also more than £1bn in debt, which costs tens of millions of pounds a year to service. And that burden is set to increase in the years ahead because of refinancing and higher interest rates.

Indeed, United have admitted they have been at risk of failing to comply with Premier League profit and sustainability rules (PSR) that limit clubs' losses.

In March, co-owner and petro-chemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe told me the club would have gone bust by the end of the year if significant action had not been taken, bemoaning the financial burden of several players he had inherited who "were overpaid and not good enough".

Meanwhile, fans are clinging to reports linking the club with moves for potential targets such as Liam Delap, Antoine Semenyo and Matheus Cunha. But if United fail to sell loaned-out, high-earning players such as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony, acquisitions could hinge on what happens in Bilbao.

Luring new players to Old Trafford is likely to be much easier if the club can offer European football. And United have admitted that if they are to improve their underperforming squad, they need to cut outgoings, hence the hundreds of staff redundancies, and ticket price increases imposed by Ratcliffe - that have sparked protests by fans.

"United still have one of the highest wage bills in the Premier League. They have a squad which has cost more than £1bn, and many of those deals have been on credit, so they have outstanding instalments of over £300m that need to be paid," says Maguire.

"So they need the cash from the Champions League to meet their ongoing financial obligations, and that's before they start recruiting the players the manager wants. The additional revenue will put the club in a far stronger position in terms of a reboot."

Such thoughts are echoed by former United defender Rio Ferdinand who told PA that victory could spark a "new era" for the club.

"With Manchester United, they need the money to recruit for this manager and it's a vital period for him in that sense," he said. "I do think it's a chance to press the restart button and it will be a new era if these are the guys who managed to win."

With each finishing position in the Premier League table worth around £3m, United have made around £30m less than the club's executives would have been planning for.

For the Ineos hierarchy, a trophy would also help compensate for the £14.5m spent on the sacking of former manager Erik ten Hag - who was retained and then backed in the transfer market last summer - and the hiring and firing of former sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Under mounting scrutiny over such decisions, club bosses are also yet to explain how they will afford to build a proposed new stadium estimated to be costing at least £2bn.

At a time when Ratcliffe is reducing his other sports investments, including an Ineos sponsorship agreement with Spurs, in a challenging economic landscape for the chemicals industry, a first European trophy since taking over at Old Trafford would be a very timely boost.

Winning in Bilbao would also come at a cost. With player contracts heavily incentivised, Maguire estimates that qualifying for the Champions League will also mean United could face having to pay out 25% extra on wages. But he maintains that the Champions League would still be "transformative".

Manager Ruben Amorim hinted as much when admitting that the Champions League was more important to him than winning the Europa League. "The best way to help us to get to the top in a few years is the Champions League, not the cup," he said.

When asked if being out of Europe next season might actually help by giving him more time to work on his squad, he was clear that losing the final against Spurs would be "really bad... the patience of the fans and you guys [the media] next year if we don't win it is going to be on the limit".

For Spurs, the prospect of a first trophy since 2008 is also a chance to salvage something from a desperate Premier League campaign that – just like United - has redefined what domestic failure looks like for a so-called 'Big Six' club.

Their season has also featured furious fan protests over a perceived lack of investment by the club's owner Enic and the approach of chairman Daniel Levy.

"Qualifying for the Champions League would be in the desirable category for Spurs, rather than essential," says Maguire.

"They are the best-run business in the Premier League. They have the most profits historically. They have an ability to generate money from non-football activities to a far greater extent than any other club, so they've always got this as a support mechanism."

At United, a second consecutive season out of the Champions League means the club will have to pay kit provider Adidas a £10m penalty under the terms of their deal.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one former senior United figure predicts that the sponsorship revenue the club have prided themselves on over so many years could be at risk of "collapsing" if they are out of Europe for only the second time in 35 years, and that their brand value is now at a pivotal moment.

"Not being a European team creates more existential issues around the whole model" they told BBC Sport, pointing to the end of the Tezos sponsorship of the club's training kit this summer.

"It's not healthy, and people start to question whether you are still a 'big club'. But win, and it keeps the wheels spinning. The cash will be 'lifeblood' that allows them to keep trading. If not, they'll have to look at selling homegrown talent like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo to give them the funds they want."

Some United fans travelling to Bilbao will hope the match evokes memories of the 1991 Cup Winners' Cup triumph - which helped spark the subsequent Sir Alex Ferguson glory years, and showed the club could perform again at a European level.

Others will look to 2017 as inspiration, when Jose Mourinho's team won the Europa League final to rescue Champions League qualification after finishing sixth in the Premier League. But given how much worse United's league performance has become, this feels much more significant.

Lose against Spurs, and many will feel that Ineos' already ambitious Mission 21 plan to turn United into Premier League champions by 2028 could start to look like Mission Impossible. However, senior United insiders dispute the suggestion that this is "win or bust", insisting that the cost-cutting programme the club are implementing is designed to give flexibility in the summer transfer window, and has been predicated on a 'no-Europe' scenario.

While they accept that winning the Europa League would provide a major boost, they say the key is fixing the club's structure.

Both Amorim and his counterpart, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, have played down suggestions that the Europa League offers some kind of panacea. Indeed, with Spurs also on course for their worst-ever Premier League season, victory may not be enough to keep Postecoglou in his job, while Amorim seems secure in his, even if his team loses.

And yet there is no denying that there will still be a huge amount at stake on Wednesday, making this one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the season.

While the neutrals can enjoy the jeopardy, United and Spurs fans will long for a much-needed sense of hope at the end of a season to forget. Here in Bilbao, a city known for its regeneration, lies a chance to kickstart a revival.

Lose, however, and the road to recovery will feel much longer.

The winner of Wednesday's Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United could receive up to £54.4m.

That figure is a combination of prize money for winning the competition and for reaching the league phase for the 2025-26 Champions League.

Spurs or United would be guaranteed about £21m, with additional prize money awarded based on league position and for victories and draws.

The figure of £54.4m does not include prize money earned beyond the Champions League's last 16.

United have already earned £26.6m for their success in Europe's second-tier competition this season, while Tottenham's total prize money so far is about £26.5m.

The slight difference comes as United drew one more match than Tottenham and finished one place above them in the league phase.

Included in the money both clubs have already won, Spurs and United received £5.9m each for reaching the final.

Of the guaranteed £21m at stake in the Europa League final, just over £5m of that is simply for winning the competition.

The remainder is for securing qualification into the league phase of next season's Champions League.

Should the winner enter next season's Champions League and lose all eight league games, their prize money will not increase much higher than the £15.9m qualification prize.

What is more likely is the winning team would go on to win or draw league matches, which are all incentivised.

There are also bonuses based on league position and for every round after the league phase which a club reaches.

This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

The Europa League final takes place on Wednesday as Tottenham face fellow Premier League side Manchester United in Bilbao.

Both teams have had poor campaigns domestically but one will ensure they finish it with a trophy and secure Champions League football for next season.

We want to know who you would pick in a combined Tottenham and Manchester United XI.

Pick your side below and share it with your friends on social media.

When those who know Djed Spence well talk about his unusual career pathway, one word comes up more than any other - "relaxed".

And if you watch clips of Spence being interviewed by Rio Ferdinand on Rio Ferdinand's Five podcast, external, wearing large dark sunglasses and speaking softly with long pauses before and during his answers, it seems a description that makes sense.

But has the Tottenham defender's apparently laid-back outlook on life held him back? After all a series of experienced managers have overlooked the 24-year-old, including current Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou until an injury crisis appeared to force his hand.

Spence thinks not. Instead he celebrates his faith and praises the virtue of being patient with Instagram posts including phrases such as "All things take time".

In February, after scoring his first Premier League goal in Spurs' win at Ipswich, Spence wrote on X, external: "A kid who had the wildest dreams to play in the Premier League. A kid who had the wildest dreams to score in the Premier League. That dream came true. NEVER stop believing in your dreams and trust in God."

Amid a chaotic season at Spurs, a player previously on the fringes has emerged as a key asset. BBC Sport traces his unusual journey to becoming a fan favourite.

Before 15 December, Spence had played just 64 minutes of Premier League football this season. Since, he has completed 90 minutes in 19 of Spurs' 22 league games.

The transformation is stark. At first, Spence was so far down Postecoglou's pecking order he was not even included in the squad for the Europa League group stage, coming in for the knockout stages.

His has been one of the most compelling individual stories this season – a breakthrough at age 24 that comes comparatively late for a top-flight footballer. Such has been his rise, there was clamour for him to feature in Thomas Tuchel's first England squad last month.

Spence missed out with Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly instead called up as the debutant left-back, despite the Spurs man making more Premier League tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks and defensive headers this campaign.

Spence came through Fulham's academy but signed his first professional contract with Middlesbrough in July 2018, then making his senior debut for the Championship club in the 2019-20 season.

He showed flashes of his talent at Riverside Stadium, but, in a pattern that would repeat, he found himself out of manager Neil Warnock's core plans and was allowed him to join then-Championship rivals Nottingham Forest on loan.

It was a gift for Forest, who were promoted that season with Spence named in the Championship team of the year for 2021-22 having made 39 league appearances. His form persuaded Spurs to spend £20 million and bring him back to his hometown of London.

Middlesbrough sporting director Kieran Scott, speaking to BBC Sport about why they allowed such a talent to slip away, admitted he had been a huge fan of Spence – scouting him for former club Norwich before moving to Boro.

"I liked his athletic profile," he said. "I'd actually put Djed forward at Norwich.

"He hadn't played that many games at that point because he started under Woody (ex-Boro manager Jonathan Woodgate) and didn't play many games for Warnock.

"I came into Middlesbrough and I liked him but the manager at the time didn't so I stepped in and got him a loan.

"He chose to go to Forest under Chris Hughton, then obviously Steve Cooper came in and took Djed to a new level.

"Chris Wilder came in [as Boro manager] and there was a clamour for Djed to be recalled but as a club, we made a decision that Djed would stay at Forest where he was doing really well.

"It ended up leading to him getting in team of the year and Spurs making a substantial offer."

Scott though admits he had some concerns about the move for Spence.

"He was a bit relaxed," Scott recalls. "I did initially fear Spurs might be a little bit too much - but fair play, he's hung in there."

Antonio Conte was manager at Tottenham when Spence joined in summer 2022, but what should have been the biggest move of his career soon turned sour as personalities clashed.

"It wasn't a nice feeling," Spence told Ferdinand for the podcast. "I was coming to the club on a high, I was confident, I was buzzing, had just won promotion. Then it was like running into a brick wall.

"I knew it was rubbish at the time. It wasn't a nice feeling. I feel like whatever I did, that man [Conte] wasn't happy about anything. He's not really a complimenting guy."

Watching parts of Spence's chat with Ferdinand, you can perhaps make easy assumptions about why a blood and thunder coach like Conte may not immediately take to Spence's more laidback demeanour off the pitch.

Yet some of his answers suggest an ambition and steeliness which explain how he has recovered from so many knockbacks to prove himself at Spurs and be talked of as a possible England international.

"I just want to keep establishing myself [and] play for my country as well," he says. "To achieve that I've just got to keep improving and stay focused."

After a year and a half of tough love around the continent, Spence returned to a Spurs side now under the management of Postecoglou – and seems to have finally found a manager with who he has a close relationship.

After a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth in December, Spence dragged Postecoglou away from an element of angry away support. He also defended the coach when asked about his initial absence from the Europa League squad.

"He's the manager of the football club, you know. He's the manager and we are a team and a family," Spence said of the Australian.

Some of Spence's most eye-catching performances this season have come against elite right-sided players who like to cut in from the wing.

With his mix of physicality, athleticism, defensive ability and attacking skill, aligned with his right-footedness, the man who was a few months ago a Spurs outcast now seems well adapted to the demands of being a Premier League left-back or left wing-back.

"His athleticism is so natural, he can play in the Premier League just purely down to what he's born with and he can play football, he's got ability," says Scott.

"I'm not shocked to see him playing ability-wise, it was just more down to application. He's got it right and it's working well and he's got to stay at that level.

"I always thought he had the ability to play in the Premier League. Not many players can run as fast as him for as long as him and just can keep doing it.

"Modern day football is why he is where he is."

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma has thanked manager Ange Postecoglou for protecting the squad amid their disappointing season, describing him like "a dad or uncle for us".

Spurs are 17th in the Premier League table with one game remaining and have suffered 25 defeats across all competitions - their joint-highest since the 1991-92 season.

They have an opportunity to salvage their season with the Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday, and Mali midfielder Bissouma says the relationship between the players and the manager has remained strong throughout the season.

"It's never changed, never changed. We have a good relationship," Bissouma, 28, said of Postecoglou.

"He's like a dad or uncle for us. He's always trying to make us understand what he really wants.

"For us, he's Ange, he's him. He's got his idea. He's trying to help us every time. He's always protecting us."

Bissouma added that Postecoglou's style was difficult to grasp at the beginning of his tenure in 2023, but he said the Australian has never put any blame on the players.

Injuries have plagued Tottenham's season but they were boosted by the return of captain Son Heung-min in Friday's defeat by Aston Villa.

They beat AZ Alkmaar, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt to set up the European final against fellow Premier League strugglers United.

Bissouma was briefly suspended by Spurs at the beginning of the season after footage appeared to show the midfielder inhaling laughing gas, an incident which he said he did not want to talk about but is "still learning" from.

"Of course there's more to come [from me]. We are always here for learning, I'm still learning," he said.

"This season has been hard for me because I didn't play much.

"The only thing I know is you have to work hard and never give up and be ready when your team needs you. That's what I'm always trying to do.

"We know what we have to do. We have to win this cup because for us it's really important.

"As a player, it's not coming every season. For the club, for the fans, it's something special."

All eyes will be on Bilbao now as Manchester United and Tottenham switch focus from their disappointing domestic campaigns and try to win the Europa League.

With both sides languishing in the bottom half of the table, securing a European trophy - and a place in next season's Champions League - would ensure they finish the campaign on a high.

Having lost their penultimate Premier League fixtures on Friday, there was no winning send-off before their meeting in Spain.

Manchester United suffered an 18th loss of the campaign with a 1-0 defeat at Chelsea, while it was 21 for Tottenham after they were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa.

But with everything now riding on Europa League success, just how are both sides shaping up ahead of the final?

Friday night's defeats for United and Spurs continued their dismal run domestically.

Tottenham have now lost 25 games in all competitions this season, the most in a single campaign in their history, while 18 league defeats for Manchester United is their most since losing 20 in 1973-74 - the last season in which they were relegated from the top flight.

United have also gone eight league games without a win (D2 L6) for the first time since an 11-game stretch between December 1989 and February 1990.

Spurs, meanwhile, have won just one of their last 11 Premier League games (D2 L8) since beating bottom side Southampton 3-1 in April.

They've also conceded in each of their last 12 league games, their longest run without a clean sheet since 17 between August and December 2010.

Both sides, though, will look to their form in Europe before Wednesday's showpiece - which has been in contrast to their domestic struggles.

They are unbeaten in their last five Europa League outings, winning four of those fixtures on their way to reaching the final.

The team selections made by both United boss Ruben Amorim and Spurs counterpart Ange Postecoglou for Friday's games provided some insight into their thinking for the Europa League final.

Postecoglou opted to rest several of his key players as Antonín Kinsky started in goal, with Guglielmo Vicario on the bench alongside Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, Richarlison and Pedro Porro.

Amorim, meanwhile, opted to bring back his regular starters, having rested some of them for the 2-0 home loss to West Ham on Sunday, 11 May.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana was not in the squad that day as Altay Bayindir started, but returned to face Chelsea.

Amorim suggested after the game he was prioritising his key players feeling competitive before the final rather than feeling rested.

"We have to prepare for each competition, with five days we can rest," he told BBC Sport.

"We have five days to prepare [for the Europa League final], two days to fully recover and then two days to prepare.

"Of course, we are excited to be in the final. Since day one the pressure has been there, but I live quite well with the pressure. When you have the final of any cup, we show up, so we are prepared for that."

Tottenham have had the measure of Manchester United this season, beating them home and away in the Premier League and also in the Carabao Cup.

They will also likely back themselves to score against the Red Devils, having hit 21 more league goals than them, despite sitting fourth from bottom with United a place above.

In fact, no team outside the top six has scored more than Tottenham's 63 goals.

Keeping them out, however, has been an issue with 61 league goals conceded, while United have fared marginally better with 54.

Encouragement for Postecoglou will also come from a lively first-half display by Son Heung-min against Villa.

The forward is looking to return to peak fitness after being sidelined with a foot injury and went close to scoring before the break.

Son, 32, has lost his last two finals with Spurs and will no doubt be determined to end his trophy drought with the club after a decade.

"He is ready and available," Postecoglou said of Son. "He feels like he is getting back to some rhythm."

United, meanwhile, could only muster one shot on target against Chelsea with Rasmus Hojlund again struggling to make an impact in attack.

The forward has scored just three goals in his last 15 appearances in all competitions.

"They have a problem, they have no striker," former Manchester United captain Roy Keane told Sky Sports.

"Hojlund looked like a young boy from the academy. He is not good enough to be the main man. United are up against it all the time."

Playing your strongest side brings with it the risk of an important player picking up an injury that would rule them out of the final.

Fortunately for Amorim i twas a risk that paid off as his team appeared to come through the Chelsea test unscathed.

Instead, it was Tottenham who have more concerns after Pape Sarr went off in the first half against Villa with a back issue, although Postecoglou said he was taken off as a precaution.

Spurs certainly don't need their injury issues compounding, with key players like Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison already ruled out of the Europa League final.

While not solely to blame for their dreadfully poor domestic campaigns, injuries have certainly hampered both clubs.

According to data from PremierInjuries.com, Tottenham have had the third worst injury crisis in the Premier League, with United the fifth.

In total, Spurs had lost 1,414 days to injuries and suffered 38 separate injuries this season – both the third highest tallies in the league.

United, meanwhile, had lost 1,229 days to injury – the fifth most – with 30 separate injuries, which was the seventh highest figure.

However, Brighton are sat in the top 10 of the Premier League, despite having the worst injury issues so far this season.

According to the data the Seagulls are top with 1,862 days lost to 44 separate injuries - as of 15 May.

But despite their poor domestic form and injury concerns, everything can go out of the window for a one-off cup final.

United are looking to win the Europa League for the second time in the last decade and their fifth major European trophy overall.

And Keane said: "You still have to fancy United.

"I think history carries a bit of weight. League form, there's not much between them, both have been desperate, but United's history in finals and more knowledge around the big games, that might edge it."

For ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp there's nothing between the two sides.

"This feels like a 50/50 game," he added. "This is a chance for Tottenham to change history and narrative.

"Ange will become the biggest decision of Daniel Levy's life. The league form has been diabolical but a first trophy would make it really difficult to sack him.

"If they win a cup, it is hero status."

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says the fans transmitted the energy that his side needed to get the win over Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park that continues their pursuit of Champions League qualification.

MATCH REPORT: Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur