Tottenham star Jan Vertonghen wants happy ending to Spurs' Champions League adventure

Now he just wants to be able to ensure for his kids’ sake that the tale has a happy ending.

After picking up just one point from the first three group matches, Tottenham’s Champions League tale seemed to be drawing to a premature close when they went a goal down inside two minutes to PSV.

Two late goals from Harry Kane – who else? – kept the adventure alive. All they had to do now was get results against Inter Milan and Barcelona at the Nou Camp. It was all beginning to seem a bit far-fetched.

And yet Christian Eriksen’s 80th minute strike at Wembley took the narrative down to the final group game – although they still had to get the same result against Barcelona that Inter managed at home to out-of-it PSV.

When Barcelona took an early lead and Inter overcame an early scare to be holding onto a point, that really had to be it.

But in another plot twist to stretch incredulity a notch further, a late Lucas Moura goal edged Spurs through.

And that’s not even to mention the VAR escape against Manchester City and the three-goal Moura rescue act in Amsterdam.

He must have thought on occasions this was some sort of Hollywood blockbuster in the making?

“Like 16 times, maybe,” Vertonghen smiled. “In the group stages, we should not have lost that Inter away game, we got one point after three games. Then the Barca away game… there are so many.

“How many games have we played to get here eventually? Twelve games? In every single one of them, something crazy happened.

“At the end of my career, I’ll hopefully look at this and think this was the most beautiful and craziest year of them all.

“I think every player has been used in the Champions League and played his part and being at the end of that crazy campaign now is something unbelievable.

“To be playing in a Champions League final is something to cherish.

“I will always be able to say I was part of a Champions League final.

“That said, you want to tell a different story to your kids, one with the ideal script. So hopefully we can hold the trophy at the end of the game.”

Vertonghen has been at the club long enough to remember struggling to a drab 1-1 draw with Maribor in sleepy Slovenia in the Europa League group stages with Andre Villas-Boas and an embarrassing home mauling by Benfica under Tim Sherwood.

Even Mauricio Pochettino, when he first took over, felt Spurs were “not yet at the level” of their Europa League conquerors Fiorentina, who finished the recent season 16th in Serie A.

“Five years ago, he picked this club up and brought us to the level we are at now,” Vertonghen said. “He’s done some unbelievable work.

“We have a great group of players, lots of young guys from the academy, lots of English internationals and guys from abroad who have a proper connection with the club now. All the guys together, here for so long with the manager, it’s got us to this level.

“This is what we all hoped for. Sometimes it doesn’t get to that level. I am extremely happy that we have been able to achieve this with the same manager and with a big group of players who have been here for several years.

“But we always want to remember this team as a team that was able to win the trophy. I’m sure we have the quality to do so.”

source: express.co.uk