Micky van de Ven has reacted to Tottenham Hotspur winning on the last day of the season to avoid being relegated after nearly half a century.
The Spurs players showed plenty of fight and spirit right from kick-off, taking the game to Everton instead of playing for a draw.
They got their just reward for their first-half dominance as Joao Palhinha turned the ball home on 42 minutes to ease the nerves of the home fans.
While a draw would have been enough for Tottenham to stay up, things got extremely nervy at the end as nearly 12 minutes were added on.
The Lilywhites managed to hold onto their slender advantage despite coming under some late pressure, much to the relief of everyone at the club.
Micky van de Ven admits Tottenham fans were the 12th man against Everton
Van de Ven delivered a heroic performance at the back, with him and Kevin Danso winning almost every long ball that Everton played.
Spurs’ captain for the day confessed that having the fans behind them for the 90 minutes was huge in giving the players the lift they needed to see out the win.
Van de Ven told BBC Sport: “I think everyone was behind us today and we played with 12 men on the pitch. Everton were unbelievable, they kept pushing us and when we needed to defend but they kept pushing, I think they were a massive part of the win.”
When asked what he did when he found out West Ham United were in the lead against Leeds, the centre-back said: “I thought that is when we need to be switched on, but I didn’t tell this to everyone because obviously people will start stressing, but I made sure we stayed switched on, and we did.”
Van de Ven admits he has suffered a lot this season
The 25-year-old was well short of his best in the majority of the season, but he had a strong end to the season, stepping up to fill the leadership void left by Cristian Romero’s injury.
Van de Ven confessed that it has been a tough season for him personally and for Tottenham as a team, but he is relieved that they have managed to get over the line.
When asked if he is embarrassed at the season that led to this game, the former Wolfsburg man responded: “It is unacceptable that the last game we played this season we play for relegation. This club has some unbelievable players. It was embarrassing to let it come to the final day, but we did it, and that is what is important.
“To be honest, I was more emotional at the end of the final whistle. It has been a tough season for me personally as well. I played almost every game, and I have suffered a lot. The emotions are really happy, and we must not let it happen again.”
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