Spurs' Europa victory eases pain of poor season, says goalscorer Johnson

BILBAO, Spain :Tottenham Hotspur forward Brennan Johnson, who scored the lone goal in his side's 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Wednesday's Europa League final, said that lifting the trophy erased the disappointment of an otherwise dismal season.

Johnson bundled in a scrappy goal in the 42nd minute en route to Spurs' first silverware since they won the 2008 League Cup and their first European title since 1984.

"I'm so happy right now," said a smiling Johnson.

"This season hasn't been good at all but I swear not one of us players right now care about that. This is what it's all about, this club hasn't won a trophy for 17 years.

"Honestly, this is what it means. It means so much. All the fans get battered, we get battered, for not winning a trophy, for not winning anything. But we had to get the first one in a while today. I'm so happy," he told TNT Sports.

The Europa League has been the one positive for both Spurs and United, with United languishing 16th in the Premier League and Tottenham 17th.

"Ever since I came here, it's been 'Tottenham are a good team but can never get it done'. We got it done," Johnson said.

Johnson's goal was not the prettiest, as Pape Sarr's cross appeared to glance off both him and United defender Luke Shaw past goalkeeper Andre Onana's desperate swipe.

"I knew I touched it, and then I kind of looked up because I didn't catch it clean and then the ball was trickling in the goal. I can't describe the feeling," the 23-year-old said.

United swarmed Spurs' end in the dying minutes, and had a couple of scoring chances including a Rasmus Hojlund header that Micky van de Ven leapt to boot off the line, and a Shaw header at the death that Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario dove to push away.

'RELIEF'

"Hor