London [UK], May 14 (ANI): Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma wants to top the “best night” of his life as he puts in the hard yards for the UEFA Europa League final, which would decide whether the Spurs would end their trophy drought by lifting the coveted title.
Tottenham has endured hardships during the domestic season. The beleaguered Spurs are threadbare at the 17th spot with 38 points. However, they have a shot at writing their redemption arc as they take on domestic rival Manchester United in the UEL final on May 21.
Despite their domestic woes, Tottenham has figured out a way to relish consistency in the continental competition. They punched their tickets to Bilbao after securing a 5-2 aggregate win against Bodo/Glimt.
Bissouma described the semi-final triumph as the “best night” of his life and wants to have a better one by standing victorious in the final against the Red Devils.
“It was the best night of my life because I qualified for the final of the Europa League. Nothing can change it in my life, and I will never forget this. And I know I can have one night that can be better than this, so I’m trying to work hard to be ready for that,” Bissouma told Sky Sports.
“It’s not every time you have a chance to play a European final, and it’s not something that’s coming every season, so a special moment like this, you feel it like a dream. I don’t want to wake up,” he added.
Across the two legs in the semi-final, Bissouma was a vital cog in Tottenham’s success. He ranked joint-top for shots and possessions won in the defensive third. The 28-year-old also featured in the top four for tackles, interceptions and possessions won in the midfield third.
While Bissouma has been one of the standout performers for Tottenham despite their shambolic run in the Premier League, he has been at the receiving end of criticism.
After Tottenham lost to Fulham in March, club boss Ange Postecoglou said the Mali-based footballer can “sometimes let the game drift by him”. He also stated his intention of wanting Bissouma to be more dominant on the ball.
“It’s always a pleasure to work with Ange. I have a good relationship with him. He’s one of the managers who really understands players and tries to do his best for his team. He puts in all of his energy for success,” he said.
“I take it [any criticism] in a good way because when I was good, he was telling me I was good. And when I’m not, if he says that, I take it in a good way. He said that for me to improve, to show him the best [player] he knows, it’s making me work hard to be at my best,” he added. (ANI)
