Kieran Trippier lauds Tottenham perseverance as Champions League final run answers critics

Kieran Trippier says Tottenham’s place in the Champions League Final defies all of those who wrote them off this season.

Spurs, who came from three goals down to beat Ajax with almost the final kick of their semi-final, second-leg tie on Wednesday, have battled against adversity all year.

Having played at Wembley until last month, when they moved into their new home, Spurs have been laboured by World Cup fatigue and injuries, while international commitments took away one of their players of the season, Heung-min Son, during the middle of the campaign.

Add to that the fact Mauricio Pochettino has seen no new faces join his squad since January 2018, when the hero in Amsterdam, Lucas Moura, arrived from Paris Saint-Germain.

"This is the squad we have got,” Trippier said. “We've got the right manager, the right staff.

In Pictures | Ajax vs Tottenham, Champions League | 08/05/2019

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"We didn't sign anybody for two transfer windows, had a lot of players injured. I think nearly everybody in the squad has had an injury for two weeks [during the season].

"Playing at Wembley wasn't easy," he added. "I'm sure it wasn't easy for the fans as well.

"I thought people might have written us off but we have done exceptionally well to be where we are and we have got to be proud of ourselves. We've had loads of people write us off but we just keep on going.

"When we have had so many injuries this season, people have stepped up, even 3-0 down at half-time [on Wednesday] we just kept on going, kept on believing and got that next goal.”

Spurs will face Liverpool in the first all-English Champions League final in over a decade in Madrid on June 1.

Before then, however, they face another clash with the other half of Merseyside, when Everton visit north London on the final day of a gruelling Premier League season.

Barring a chaotic series of events, with an eight-goal swing between themselves and rivals Arsenal needed, Tottenham’s top-four place is secured. They could still leapfrog Chelsea and finish third on the final day.

"Of course, it is a big game on Sunday,” Trippier said. “We want to finish the season strong, last home game of the season.

“Wednesday night was an amazing occasion but we have got another game on Sunday and we need to be ready, every game is important.

"We've still got a chance to finish third so we want to finish as high as possible and then after that it is three weeks until the final."

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