Gareth Bale couldn't help but take a cheeky swipe at Manchester United following their Europa League final loss to Tottenham on Wednesday night, joking that their performance was 'United-y'. The Red Devils and Spurs clashed at the San Mames in Bilbao in a desperate bid for redemption after both teams had endured disappointing domestic seasons.
However, it was further heartbreak for Ruben Amorim's struggling side as they were unable to break down a Spurs team that last kept a clean sheet back in February - against United. A scrappy goal from Brennan Johnson - with significant help from Luke Shaw - was enough to end the Londoners' 17-year wait for a major trophy.
Tottenham have faced their fair share of ridicule over the years, with football fans dubbing them 'Spurs-y' due to their inability to clinch victory - and Bale delightfully redirected that mockery towards United after witnessing his former club triumph in Spain.
The ex-Wales and Real Madrid winger also believes that Spurs' win will help dispel the negative perception surrounding the club after he and the rest of the TNT Sports panel were shown a screenshot of the team's official social media account humorously using the term.
"It could be a United-y thing now, I'm telling you!," a grinning Bale remarked. "But it gets rid of that stigma now for sure and hopefully we can build on it."
While Bale was having a good time, ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand didn't seem too pleased. He jokingly asked: "Can we get off air now?"
Ange Postecoglou was the main topic of conversation after the match. The Tottenham boss had previously stated in September that he would continue his streak of 'always' winning a trophy in his second season and, despite Spurs' dreadful Premier League performance, he kept his promise in Bilbao.
Despite uncertainty surrounding the Australian's future, Postecoglou made it clear after the match that he wishes to stay. And Bale believes that the former Celtic boss deserves more time and the support of Spurs chief, Daniel Levy.
"I think only the chairman can decide [whether he stays], to be honest. There's been so much talk about whether he goes or whether he doesn't," Bale commented.
"It'll be intriguing to see what happens now that he's won a trophy, the first Tottenham manager to do so in a long while. So I suppose the board has some decisions to make. I appreciate the football that he plays. Obviously, he lacks a bit of a plan B. But tonight showed there is a plan B. There's a different side to how he's played.
"So I guess if he also matures as a manager and brings that defensive side to his teams, of course he can still have great success here."
A version of this article first appeared on the Mirror website