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Thousands hail Spurs' Europa League heroes in victory parade / Photo: © AFP
NYSE - LSE
Thousands hail Spurs' Europa League heroes in victory parade
Europa League winners Tottenham were saluted by around 150,000 ecstatic fans during an open-top bus parade through north London on Friday.
Ange Postecoglou's side beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao on Wednesday to end the club's 17-year trophy drought.
Brennan Johnson's first-half strike sealed Tottenham's first European silverware for 41 years, making amends for the team's dismal form in the Premier League this term.
A white double-decker bus with 'Europa League winners' emblazoned on it carried Tottenham's players on an "emotional" journey to their stadium.
Jubilant supporters packed the streets to hail the players, with chants of "glory, glory Tottenham Hotspur" echoing as the bus rolled past.
Tottenham's South Korean captain Son Heung-min held the trophy aloft on the top deck of the bus as his team-mates proudly displayed their winners' medals and Postecoglou waved to fans.
An estimated 150,000 supporters were expected for a parade that was due to last around 90 minutes.
Tottenham players were seen partying in a London nightclub after arriving back from Bilbao.
And Dutch defender Micky van de Ven soaked up the scene at the parade and said: "Unbelievable man. Yeah I slept only a little bit since then.
"Emotional, so emotional. The season we've had, it was so difficult, but we got the trophy and we're so happy. I'm so proud of the boys.
"If you experience this, you want to do it over and over again. We're going to try to do the same beautiful things next season."
It was Tottenham's first trophy parade since winning their last FA Cup in 1991, while their last silverware came in the 2008 League Cup.
Postecoglou's side are currently 17th in the Premier League, one place above the relegation zone, as they face up to their worst finish since 1976-77.
But Graham Roberts -- a member of the Tottenham team that won the 1984 UEFA Cup -- backed his old club to chase more silverware now the trophy curse is over.
"This will give them belief now. All that pressure that was there, that's gone," Roberts said.
"We have to strengthen our squad, but I think we have a great bunch of boys.
"They love Ange, they went round him, they cuddled him, they wanted him in the photos. The team spirit is there.
"We'll get more now, the rest will come. Wednesday was one of the greatest nights. I had tears in my eyes. The fans were magnificent. They deserve it."
A. Martins--JDB
