LUKA MODRIC, THE NEW CROATIAN STAR

Luka MODRIC:

The 22 year old Croatian offensive midfielder Luka Modric is already a star in his own country and probably he will be very soon in England too. Tottenham have just paid £16.5 million to Dinamo Zagreb for him making him new manager Juande Ramos’s biggest signing so far equalling the club’s transfer record. Darren Bent also cost £16.5 million from Charlton last year.

Modric has already been compared to Johan Cruyff not only because he wears the number 14 shirt but he has physical similarities with the former Dutch star and tends to ghost into scoring positions from midfield.

Modrić signed for Dinamo Zagreb as a 16 year old in 2002. The next season he was loaned to Zrinjski Mostar in the notoriously physical Bosnia and Herzegovina Premier League where he quickly showed his potential, becoming Bosnian League Player of the Year while just 18 He said afterwards that “someone who can play in the Bosnian league can play anywhere”.

After another loan spell this time at Inter Zaprešić he was recalled to Dinamo and offered a 10 year contract.

He started playing on the left but has moved inside and has two good feet and a is good reader of the game. His off the ball play is much admired.

He made his senior international debut against Argentina in March , 2006 but only made two appearances as a substitute at the World Cup finals in Germany. He scored his first international goal in Croatia’s 2-0 victory over Italy in a friendly in August 2006 in Livorno.