Ben Davies is determined to finally have a winners’ medal to show for his 11-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur, with the Welshman admitting that it will be a dream come true to hoist the Europa League trophy in Bilbao next week.
With less than a week left until the Europa League final at the San Mames between Tottenham and Man United, the excitement is now building among Spurs fans.
The players are acutely aware of how big an achievement it will be to lift a trophy, given that the club have not won any silverware for 17 years.
Micky van de Ven has said that the club are desperate to shed their ‘Spursy’ tag by winning the trophy, while club captain Heung-min Son has described the final as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make history.
Davies wants to change the narrative around Spurs
The only player who has been at the club longer than Son is Davies, who has now completed 11 seasons in North London, but his time at the club may be about to end, with his contract running out next month.
The 32-year-old has experienced plenty of highs and lows during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, and he admits that it would be incredibly special to finally get his hands on a trophy.
When asked if he is daring to dream ahead of the final, Davies told Tottenham’s official website: “Yes, I’m not one of those who will try to push it away. If anything, you can try to manifest it if you think about the good things, so that’s what I’m sticking to.
“It would be incredible, something… having been involved in a lot of European competitions, you realise how hard it is. To get over the line this time, it would mean so much.
“The teams we’ve had, the players we’ve had, we’ve all dreamt of this but just fallen short. Now we have the chance to do something special, to change the narrative, and we’re all hoping we can do that.”
Ben Davies explains how his role at Tottenham has changed
Davies has previously been a regular in the Tottenham squad under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but he has been restricted to more of a fringe role under Ange Postecoglou.
The former Swansea man admits that as one of the senior players in the side, his role is now to mentor his younger teammates and use his experience to help them navigate the challenges they face.
When asked how his role in the squad has changed over the years, Davies responded: “It’s like a mentor role. I speak to a lot of the boys now about their feelings going into games, after games, and sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and realise for some of these guys the pressure and anxiety that can bring can really challenge them.
“I’m a calm head who has experienced it and knows you always have the chance to rectify things in the next game. It’s a great group. Everyone has gone through highs and lows this season. It’s been really tough at times and, sometimes, that can really bring you together. I’m hoping for one more time it will be a big high.”