Kevin De Bruyne says he is proud to be part of a Manchester City team who never gives in.
Our Belgian playmaker was outstanding in the 1-0 win over Chelsea, playing the full 90 minutes and providing the cross from which Bernardo scored the winning goal that set up a second successive Manchester derby FA Cup final.
And he was quick to praise the team’s character and durability in tough situations.
“The way we have performed the whole year has been good,” said De Bruyne.
“The bar was so high after last year and we were playing on three fronts until Wednesday – now it’s two – but to do this year-after-year is a sign of character and the team has that in abundance.
“I’m proud and it’s an honour to play with this team because they show up every day.”
De Bruyne said he was delighted to have seen off a stern Chelsea test at Wembley.
He also admitted he and his team-mates had to find the resolve and determination to win a game that they knew would be tough from start to finish.
“I’m very happy. It was a hard game, and we knew it was going to be,” he said.
“We dug in, worked hard and found a way to win. We made the best performance we could make; we were tired after Wednesday, but we did it and go back to the final – I just think it’s a great sign of character.
“The way that we performed against Madrid was really good and today we played with a bit of sadness after Wednesday, but we are happy we can go back to the final.”
On his own, injury-hit campaign, he added: “It’s been a different year. It’s been a weird period – coming back after such a long injury.
“I know people expect to see you on the pitch and to be the same as before, but it takes time to get to your best level.
“Some performances have been really good, some have been a bit less, but I give everything that I need to get to this level so I’m happy.”
And on City’s run-in, he added: “We’ve been here before and there’s no reason to think too much ahead.
“We will stay calm and focus on what we need to do.”