Real error will not be my last - Tottenham's Gomes

In 10 Champions League games this season, Gomes has conceded 13 goals

Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has said he needs to "show character" after gifting Real Madrid victory in their Champions League quarter-final.

He fumbled a 25-yard Cristiano Ronaldo shot and could not stop the ball trickling into his net as Spurs suffered a 5-0 defeat on aggregate.

Gomes has made a number of high-profile errors since joining Spurs in 2008.

"This was not my first mistake and I know it will not be the last one in my career," Brazilian Gomes, 30, admitted.

"But I need to show character like I did before."

The London side were always struggling to overcome a 4-0 deficit from the first leg but the error effectively ended the tie as Madrid won 1-0.

Spurs had been more than a match for the nine-time European champions before Gomes spilled Ronaldo's speculative 49th-minute effort.

The former Manchester United player got good pace on his shot but Gomes accepted he could have done better.

"The ball moved a little bit but it was a mistake and I accept it," the Tottenham goalkeeper said.

The Brazilian made several mistakes shortly after his arrival from PSV Eindhoven in 2008, but has performed well in the last 12 months.

Confidence is vital for football teams, nowhere more so than between the sticks, and the goalkeeper knows that he must put it behind him as quickly as possible.

"I know I was so important for the club and I need to move on because they need me," Gomes stated.

"We have a lot of big games coming up and I need to recover quick. It was a difficult moment for me but I have to look forward because I know how important that is for the team."

The 5-0 defeat on aggregate ended what had been a dream debut season in the Champions League for Spurs.

And Gomes was keen that the side would take the positives from a campaign that included wins over both Inter Milan and AC Milan.

"It's not easy qualifying in first place and then to play against AC Milan and Real Madrid in our first season is great," the goalkeeper reflected.

"If we continue to play like we have done in the last few games then I think we can continue improving.

"There are a lot of teams with more experience in the competition, but I think we are on the right way to challenging [for trophies] and we need to keep going now."

The focus now for Tottenham must be on again qualifying for the Champions League by sealing a top four finish in the Premier League - they are fifth in the table, three points adrift of fourth-place Manchester City but with a game in hand on their rivals.

Gomes said: "The dream is over but we will still keep going to make sure we get a place in next year's competition. There are a lot of big games coming up and we need to look forward to those games. This season is not over yet.

"Our next game against Arsenal will be massive for us.

"We know that and we want to be in the top four and we need to be strong."