Toby Alderweireld has made one of the most painful walks in football … past the magnificent European Cup as a loser.
And his memories from the 2014 Champions League Final will give Alderweireld an ever greater incentive to get his hands on one of sport’s most iconic trophies this Saturday when his Tottenham side face Liverpool .
The Belgian defender came on as a late substitute for Atletico Madrid as they hung on to a first half lead given to them by Diego Godin. But Sergio Ramos equalised three minutes into added time and Real Madrid eventually ran out 4-1 winners.
“We were so close to winning it,” reflected Alderweireld , who was subsequently sent on loan to Southampton where he did well enough to convince Spurs to buy him.
“In the 90th minute or something, Ramos scored so the feeling of losing was very hard. I will take that feeling to the final and show I want it more than anyone else.”
And for a clearly pumped-up Alderweireld, the fight for victory in the final against Liverpool has already begun.
He explained: “In the last couple of weeks, we’ve been trying like animals. We’re trying to give our best every day because that is the way we need to work to be in our best state for the final. The hunger is there. Everybody wants to be there, to be involved and give their best and the final is not going to start Saturday … it started two weeks ago.”
And Alderweireld says Spurs should draw on a positive second half at Anfield late in the Premier League season, even though his bizarre late own goal gifted Liverpool a 2-1 victory.
He said: “The last game at Anfield, we had a difficult start but, in the second half, we were better than them. We have to learn from that and have the confidence to play and put them under pressure.”
And pressure is something Spurs will be able to cope with, insists Alderweireld.
“A lot of players have played in really big games, World Cups and stuff like this so we know what to do,” he said. “Of course the tension will get more as the week goes on but we have the maturity in our group and that is not a problem.
“We are focused on our game and it doesn’t matter who we play, we just have to focus on our game and be confident. The only thing in our head is we have to win it.”
And maybe then, he will forget the pain of 2014.
