Guglielmo Vicario names the PSG star he has been texting and why his parents are now celebrities

If you're a Tottenham Hotspur supporter on a European trip this season then you have probably bumped into Mr and Mrs Vicario, perhaps without even realising it.

Monica and Michele Vicario, the parents of Spurs goalkeeper , have become celebrities somewhat within the north London club's fanbase due to their passion for their son's team.

football.london bumped into the Vicarios out in Bodo, while eating breakfast at the same hotel ahead of the Europa League semi-final second leg. and it's easy to see why the Italian duo have become so popular within the fanbase.

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Both are warm people, Monica the more outgoing of the pair with those classic Italian hand gestures and an affectionate way of communicating as if she's known you for decades. She spoke at a Q&A at the stadium this season with her son to mark one year of the Women of the Lane supporters' group.

Her husband Michele is quieter, if no less pleasant, just happy to let his wife, with her better grasp of English, take centre stage.

Both are fiercely proud of their son and what he has achieved as he risen up the football ladder, from the lower leagues of Italian football to his Premier League move and then making his international bow for his country.

What has particularly endeared them to Tottenham supporters on these away trips, both in Europe and in the UK, is that the Vicarios throw themselves into it wholeheartedly, wearing Spurs scarves, shouting at matches and often heard to sign off conversations with "Up the !" accompanied by a big grin.

When football.london asked Vicario whether he was aware that his parents have become celebrities amongst the Spurs fanbase, the 28-year-old gave a little smile and suddenly had the air of a slightly embarrassed child.

"Unfortunately, yes, but no I am happy for them. They are enjoying this moment, they are enjoying this part of their life after 40 years of working. Now they can enjoy and now is my turn to work. They can chill and they can relax," he said.

"They have been there every time [throughout my career], they try to follow as many games as they can. They love football, my Mum as well, so yeah it is a big part of their life trying to see a lot of cities around Europe, around the UK and see as many stadiums as they can and just to try create memories for them and to share with friends."

While that little pang of embarrassment was mostly feigned, Vicario clearly feels he owes a lot to his parents as he stands on the brink of a European final.

"The biggest thing they did was to never put pressure on me on over what I had to choose to do in my life," he said. "It was just to try to find a way you can fit in and this is the biggest gift that they never have been those kind of parents that when you are a young kid of seven-years-old thinking ‘yes, my son will be the next Buffon or next Neuer'. This has been the biggest gift they gave me."

Ahead of the big match in Bilbao against Manchester United, Vicario admitted that he does have to pinch himself at times when he looks over his journey in the sport.

"I cannot be more proud of what my journey has been until this point. Now it is just about trying to finalise the last step we have," he explained. "When I signed for this football club, to imagine about 22 months later I would have the opportunity to play a European final, it is something I am very grateful for. Of course the hard work has been put in, so I am very glad about that."

Italian international goalkeepers will feature in both the Europa League and Champions League finals this month, with Gianluigi Donnarumma set to turn out for PSG against Inter Milan.

Vicario revealed that he has been in constant contact with his compatriot, although he will have split loyalties for that final.

"Oh I texted him many times to be fair, especially the last week and over the last two legs in the semi-final," he said with a smile. "I was very happy for him for the result he achieved.

"Now it is a tricky one in the final of the Champions League because I have my mates from the national team of Inter Milan on one side and him on the other side. I don’t know who I will support."

The main focus for Vicario is Tottenham though and the chance to end a 17-year wait for a trophy at the club, with 41 years passing since they last lifted a piece of European silverware.

"It would be massive for the players, for the staff and especially for the fans. We know we can create history for this football club," said the goalkeeper. "We know that probably next year when we walk through the corridors into the dressing room we will see some photos of us lifting that trophy, but now it is not certain, so we have to keep working as best we can to try to arrive on the day as ready as we can to create history."

Vicario's journey this season came with the added pain of a fractured foot, suffered in a collision with Savinho in the 4-0 victory at Manchester City. That the injury occurred in the first half and the Italian played on for the rest of the game and kept a clean sheet said plenty about his character.

"To be fair I didn’t think about a bone broken in my ankle, it was just we were 2-0 up at the Etihad and the opportunity to keep a clean sheet in that stadium is a memory you can always have in the back of your mind," he admitted.

"So, it was an aim I had to continue and to keep going. I felt it to be fair but I didn’t think [it was a broken bone], maybe a ligament or something you can carry on with. Unfortunately it was a big mistake to play on. We won a big game, I kept a clean sheet but it was also one of the best and one of the worst days of my life."

Now Vicario finds himself in a European final after working hard at his recovery, returning far earlier than expected after a couple of months.

"You always try to get yourself in a better place, the safest place and of course the injury has been a big deal for me, a big part of my season this year, but I try to take it in a good way to try to help the team when I was back," he said.

"To live this kind of moment and to win a semi-final of a European competition to go into a final, it was of course a big aim for myself to try to arrive in May and have the opportunity to play this kind of game."

Vicario has become a key man at the club, having been incorporated this season into the squad's leadership group with captain Son Heung-min and vice-captains Cristian Romero and James Maddison. With a young Tottenham team set to take to the turf against United, the Italian's actions as much as his voice will be required in Bilbao.

"It is just to try to lead them because I think words can sometimes, you speak a lot but it is the way you act. In the way you behave in the dressing room, or during training and being the first to go to the gym and last to go away from the training ground on a daily basis is a good commitment because people can see how committed you are and how much you embrace the challenge," he said.

"I think that is a big part of my journey, of my life and then try to just give them the best example of how to behave on the pitch, off the pitch and try to be the best human being you can be."

It's clear where the Tottenham goalkeeper gets that attitude from and the Vicarios will hopefully be celebrating with the fans on Wednesday night in Bilbao. If you hear someone enthusiastically exclaiming 'Up the Spurs', then you know they are close.

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