The skipper's season...

Lewis, how pleased have you been with the ways things have gone this season?

I think we should be pleased, and proud, of our achievements this season. To finish with the club’s record points tally and league position in the Premier League is a clear indication that we’re making progress as a group. We had spells where the results didn't go our way, but that’s not uncommon when you’re playing in this league and against some of the world’s best players. You’re going to have these dips, but you have to make sure you come out the other side, and we’ve done that. Credit to the boys, they’ve shown real character throughout what was a long, hard season.

That character has been a trait that really shone through, didn't it?

There’s a never-say-die attitude in this group and that’s so important to have in any team. There were a number of occasions where we scored late goals to either win or draw games – Crystal Palace, Southampton, West Ham, Chelsea and Tottenham spring to mind – and even in the games we lost, there weren't too many when we were not been in contention for the points. Off the pitch, the spirit and togetherness was one of the best I’ve experienced in my time at the club and that’s reflected on the pitch.

We had a number of young players come into the group this year. Has that impressed you?

I think seven players from the academy made their first-team debuts this season, while we’ve had Evan [Ferguson] and Jeremy [Sarmiento] also make their first appearances in the Premier League. That’s a fantastic return and a far cry from back in the day – where the likes of Solly and myself making the step-up were few and far between. To have these youngsters coming through speaks volumes for the work done by the academy and also from the management for having faith in these young players. We’ve had under-23s, even under-18s players train with the first team this season, and they didn't look out of place – and when players do step up with us on a regularly basis, they’re made to feel a real part of the group. There’s a lovely balance of older experienced pros and younger, exciting talent in the squad now, and that’s great to see.

We also had new players coming in and doing well – the likes of Marc Cucurella, Enock Mwepu and Moises Caicedo…

The three you’ve mentioned are fantastic players, with good personalities and a real desire to do well – so credit to the gaffer and the recruitment team for bringing them into the club. They settled into the group so well and while Marc and Moises have had to learn the language, the Spanish-speaking guys in the squad, along with Bruno, have helped them through. As we know, this is a tough league to come into and hit the ground running, but all three can be proud of the impact they made this season.

And Marc, of course, took the Player of the Season crown…

It’s only on loan to him! No, seriously, it was fully deserved given he had such a consistent season. From his first training session we could see that he would be suited to the way we play and also to the Premier League. I think he found it hard in the early days with the language being a bit of a barrier, but he came through that and he has been a credit to himself and his family. He’s definitely one of the lads now and I’m proud to call him a team-mate. A class act on and off the pitch – and great hair of course!

There were a number of standout performances on the road, but which ones stood out for you?

I think the back-to-back wins in north London were up there. After the winless run we’d been on, we put in a really good performance at Arsenal. It was another brave performance where we looked to attack whenever the opportunity presented itself, and let’s not forget that this was against a team that had been in good form and going for a top-four finish. Tottenham had those same ambitions when we played them the following week but we were excellent at both ends of the pitch that day.

Son and Kane were certainly quiet that day...

I was proud of the way we defended as a team to keep their attacking threat relatively quiet while we again took the game to Spurs when the pockets opened up. To score so late on through Leo’s fine effort was the reward for our hard work on the day – we really put in a shift. The Chelsea game also has to be right up there; I was injured at the time but we were again really brave on the ball and created some decent opportunities before Danny Welbeck’s late header. It was a well-deserved point and great to see so many limbs in the away end at Stamford Bridge!

What about at home – an obvious choice?

Well we had the draw against Chelsea, in which I thought we probably deserved more from, but, of course, the Manchester United performance is the standout and, arguably, the best performance we’ve ever had at the Amex. Personally, it was an honour to be up against Cristiano Ronaldo that day, a memory I’ll always cherish, but every player played really well and we more than deserved our 4-0 win. Some of the football we played at times was a privilege to be a part of and the atmosphere was electric. I’m sure our fans will talk about that game for a long, long time.

The style of football under Graham Potter has been a joy to watch at times. Is it as good to play in?

It’s been a process that has developed over a period of time, but I think everyone can see that each player knows his role within the system – whether they are starting or coming on from the bench. That’s down to plenty of hard work on the training ground and, of course, the foresight of the gaffer, who has been brilliant for us all. With the style of football he has adopted and the way he is as a person, there’s a real bond that has developed between him, his coaching staff and the players – and long may it continue.

What was it like to have the fans back?

Fantastic. We all saw when we played behind closed doors during the pandemic that football without the fans is not the same game. It was nice when we had them back in smaller numbers, but to have full stadiums again this season was brilliant – for the atmosphere and for us as players. It gives you that extra lift when you hear the fans and it was great to see the Amex sold out on so many occasions this season. Our fans were also immense away from home and it often felt like we were playing at home, given the noise they have made.

Finally, can we push on and do even better next season? 

That's the challenge. The Premier League is getting stronger and stronger when you think of the world-class players it attracts. So it won't be easy, but that's the aim. It's nice to have a bit of a longer break than last season but I'm sure when we report back for pre-season everyone will be raring to go and try and set even more records for the club.