Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli said fate decreed that he would score the winning penalty on his return to Milton Keynes for Wednesday's Carabao Cup win over Watford.
Alli, 22, who grew up in Milton Keynes and came through the ranks at MK Dons, captained Spurs against Watford and sealed a 4-2 shootout victory following a 2-2 draw.
The game was played at Stadium MK, the home of his former club MK Dons, with Tottenham's new ground not ready and their temporary Wembley home unavailable.
"It was written that I was going to step up and I just had to put it in the back of the net," Alli said. "I don't think there was pressure. I enjoyed it.
"It was nice to come back, it was a great experience. It's how you take it. For me, it was just about coming back and enjoying the experience of playing here again. I did that."
Spurs have notched wins over Brighton and Watford after losing three games in a row, and Alli said they had shown strength.
"I think we've proved we have to learn from that," he said. "We can't let it happen. We have to stay strong mentally as a team. I think we showed great character, conceding a late equaliser and then winning on penalties.
"We want to have the mentality that whatever the game is, whatever the competition, we want to win and go as far in every competition and win as many as we can.
"The fans deserve it, the whole club. We've had a few good years but it's about time we started getting the trophies we deserve."
Meanwhile, manager Mauricio Pochettino hailed the Tottenham supporters who travelled to Milton Keynes.
"First of all I want to say thank you to our fans," he said. "They need to be praised from myself on behalf of all the players and staff and the club, to say thank you for coming here and offering their support. They made a massive effort.
"It's important for the people all to listen to me, as the manager of the club, to that gratitude and to say thank you very much, and then to say thank you to all the town of Milton Keynes and the club.
"We'll see [if Spurs play there again]. Now we'll see what happens in the draw. The objective was to go to the next round and we are so happy, of course."
Pochettino said he had made Alli captain "because I think it was so exciting for him to play here in his own town, in Milton Keynes," adding: "It's difficult to have another possibility to play here in his career in the future, and today I wanted to provide him with a very good feeling, to not only play but to feel that.
"We can feel here the love that the people feel for him and that was fantastic for us. For him it is an experience he will remember for all of his life."
Third-choice goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga was also a hero, saving two spot-kicks in the shootout, and Pochettino said: "I think he was fantastic and then he showed his character in the penalties.
"We believe in him and have a lot of faith in him, and now it is a special period of course."