Fulham boss Roy Hodgson was a proud man after watching his players reach the final of the Europa League with a stirring 2-1 win over Hamburg on Thursday night.
The Cottagers appeared to be heading out after falling a goal down, both on the night and on aggregate, when Mladen Petric bent in a 30-yard free-kick on 22 minutes.
However, two goals in seven second-half minutes, from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera, saw Fulham progress to their first European final.
"This club has had some bad times and we've looked into the abyss once or twice," Hodgson said.
"Everyone is proud that we're about to start our 10th Premier League season.
"And to have reached a Europa League final - and I don't care if you're Fulham or one of the top four - is an outstanding achievement. That will be recognised by everyone.
"I can only enjoy the moment and make sure that the glory on the players is not deflected elsewhere.
"We're in the final because we've played very, very well throughout and knocked out some very difficult teams, not least Hamburg.
"It's been a wonderful journey that I'm really proud of. The team have produced better football than we're entitled to ask of them."
Hodgson continued: "It was a great performance because it would have been so easy for us to loose our heads after the great goal they scored.
"I thought we were good value for our victory and the character of this team has been proved time and time again."