Danny Rose: Tottenham making the Champions League final “never entered my thought process”

Danny Rose has never been a player who is afraid to speak his mind.

Rose is one of the longest-tenured members of the current Spurs’ squad, but things he has said haven’t always sat well with Mauricio Pochettino. Rose infamously gave an interview to a notorious British tabloid before last season. In that interview, he criticized Tottenham’s transfer policy and seemed to be hinting that he would leave the club eventually if things didn’t change.

Boy, have things changed.

Spurs are in the Champions League final, and Rose is set to start said final. On the eve of Saturday’s match, the left-back has spoken to the Evening Standard about how achieving this unbelievable feat has solidified his belief in Pochettino, despite any past issues the two may have had.

“Since I’ve been at the club, being in a Champions League Final has never ever entered my thought process. I wanted so much to win the League Cup, the FA Cup, the Premier League. We’ve got to one final in the League Cup and two FA Cup semis, we’ve huffed and puffed in the League and, ultimately, never come close. To think that we’re 90 minutes away from maybe lifting the Champions League. I never thought that could happen at Tottenham. It shows you anything can happen in football.”

Rose isn’t just speaking for himself here. He speaks for nearly every fan of Tottenham Hotspur. Very few Spurs fans would have thought that this year’s team would reach the final of Europe’s most prestigious club competition, and yet, here they are. It still hasn’t totally settled in as something that is real.

Some of Rose’s controversial earlier interview was about the club’s lack of trophies, but it’s safe to say that winning this one would put all of that criticism to bed.

It’s also safe to say that Rose is feeling a lot better about his career at Tottenham now then he was back then. He elaborated further about how this miraculous season has helped him really come to understand Pochettino’s managerial methods.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t believe him [before], I just didn’t understand. It shows why he’s the manager and I’m the player!”

“We don’t know the full ins and outs. You can either take it that the manager has got full confidence in what he’s worked with in the last two years or you can take it that nobody wants to join Tottenham or the club hasn’t been able to provide the funds to buy anyone. The whole squad has taken it as the manager believes in us. Despite what I may have said in the past, the manager believes in his way and we’re all behind it. Look what it’s brought us: a Champions League Final, another year of Champions League football next season. A lot of credit should go to the manager. We’ve all done ever so well.”

Rose is a smart guy. It’s not likely to be something he will end up pursuing, but he seems like the type of player who could make a good coach in the future.

It’s funny to hear the players repeatedly spin the club not making any signings as a sign that “the manager believes in us.” That’s certainly true to an extent, but also if Pochettino could have his way the club would have definitely signed some players in the past two windows.

New signings are now sure to come this summer, whether Tottenham win or lose on Saturday against Liverpool.

Rose’s future at the club has been iffy in the past, due to issues with injuries and with that tabloid interview, but it’s refreshing to hear him speak about Pochettino like this. Rose has clearly mended fences with Poch, and that’s part of the reason why he has been able to contribute to this incredible run in the Champions League.