Tonda Eckert, the head coach of Southampton, commended his team for their resilience following their thrilling play-off victory over Middlesbrough.
The Saints made a stunning comeback to secure the win, with Shea Charles scoring with only four minutes left in extra time.
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The team is set to compete against Hull City at Wembley on May 23, aiming for promotion to the Premier League.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was incredible; the crowd was fantastic,” he shared with BBC Radio Solent. “We had to dig very deep today, and I credit the players for their efforts over 120 minutes. I believe we truly deserved this win across both legs.”
“I reminded the boys that our journey isn’t over yet. While we can celebrate this result, there’s still more work to be done.”
Eckert was also questioned about the EFL’s investigation regarding spying on Middlesbrough prior to the initial leg of the play-offs.
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On Tuesday morning, Southampton released a statement confirming that they are conducting an internal review concerning the situation.
“We’ve managed to keep this from distracting the team, but we take the issue very seriously,” Eckert remarked. “It’s a challenging situation for me, but the club has issued another statement. Given that it’s an ongoing investigation, I can’t say too much right now, but I will address it later.”