A FORMER pupil of a school in Basingstoke has lifted European silverware.
Dominic Solanke, 27, led the line as Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League Final last night, Wednesday, May 21.
The striker, a former pupil at Brighton Hill Community College (now Brighton Hill Community School), played the full 90 minutes in the closely-fought affair, which saw Spurs win their first trophy in 17 years.
It wasn't the prettiest game as Spurs and Man Utd, sitting 17th and 16th in the Premier League respectively, slugged it out in the hope of redemption after a poor league season by all accounts.
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A scrappy, trickling goal from Brennan Johnson in the 42nd minute put Spurs ahead at the Estadio de San Mames in Bilbao, Spain, and a defensive masterclass which saw a last-ditch goal line clearance from Micky Van de Ven and a late save from goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, ensured victory for Spurs.
Solanke had a chance to seal the deal late in the game, when a counterattack was launched by Yves Bissouma who played a pass to send him through on goal, however it seemed there was too much weight on the through ball and Solanke couldn't quite bring the ball under control.
Solanke signed for Spurs last summer after a long and impressive stint at AFC Bournemouth. The number 19 inspired a transfer to the North London side after impressing manager Ange Postecoglou.
His footballing career began at Chelsea in 2004, and he signed his first professional contract in 2014 before moving to Vitesse on loan a year later.
In 2017, he transferred to Liverpool before making a name for himself with the Cherries down on the south coast, netting 72 goals in 199 appearances.
His current season in the white half of North London has seen him bag eight goals in 26 appearances.
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