By Isobel Cootes
When Luka Modric joined Tottenham Hotspur 16 years ago, several coaches warned he would “get murdered” in the centre of the pitch.
But, thankfully, former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp ignored them and unearthed one of the game’s best midfielders in the modern game.
Modric began his career in the early 2000s with Dinamo Zagreb, with loan stints for Zrinjski Mostar and Inter Zapresic, before a career-defining decision to sign with the Lilywhites in 2008.
Things didn’t start well under Spaniard manager Juande Ramos, with the club winless across their eight opening games and only collecting two points to suffer their worst start to a league season in history.
Redknapp was called in to rescue their season and his decision soon after set the wheels in motion for Modric to become one of the biggest stars.
“We had a poor start to the season, both myself and the team as a whole. After the new head coach came in, things started to improve,” the 38-year-old admitted on PL Stories: The Croatian Touch on Optus Sport.
“I can only say great things about Harry. He’s a great coach but what impressed me even more is how he is as a person – a phenomenal man.
He helped me a lot while I was at Tottenham until I left. So, I’m forever grateful and I’ve happy memories working with him. To have someone who really believes in you, who sees your potential, of course that helps. I need that, especially after my initial struggles.
“We definitely played the most beautiful football in England,” Modric added.
Standing at 172cm much was speculated about Modric and his ability to adapt after making the £16.5 million ($32.1m AUD) move to N17.
Subsequently, it led other coaches to warn Redknapp about moving the five-time Champions League winner into the centre.
But, luckily, the West Ham legend ignored them.
“He came here and then people started doubting whether he could play in England or not,” Redknapp said on Modric.
And whether he was strong enough to play here which was incredible when you look back, he’s strong enough to play anywhere.
“When I first went to Tottenham, he played out on the left and I said I’m going to move him central,” the former Spurs coach admitted.
“A couple of the coaches that were there before I came at Tottenham said, ‘Harry, you can’t play him there. He’s not strong enough, he’ll get murdered’.
“On the Saturday we played Chelsea and remember the coaches against it, [they said], ‘Harry it’s a bit different. They’ve got [Michael] Essien, [Frank] Lampard, [Michael] Ballack, they’ll be too strong for Luca’. ‘
No’, I said, ‘They won’t be too strong for Luca’. He played there, it was fantastic and he never played anywhere else again, did he?
In 2010, Redknapp and Modric returned the Lilywhites back to the Champions League for the first time in almost 50 years.
It was around this time the club earned the nickname ‘Crottenham’ because there were four Croatians at the North London club.
Vedran Corluka, Niko Kranjcar and Stipe Pletikosa were there alongside Modric.
All four have Slaven Bilic, the first Croatian in the Premier League, and the rest of the 1998 World Cup heroes like Davor Shuker and Igor Stimac for “paving the way” for the next generation in England.
“The dream was to play in Italy or Spain because it was difficult for us to make it to England as not many Croatians played over there,” Modric admitted on PL Stories: The Croatian Touch.
Coming to Tottenham was the right decision. If I could’ve written the script for how my career would develop, I couldn’t have written it better than how everything’s turned out.
Modric eventually departed the club in 2012 after 127 appearances in the league, following Redknapp out the door.
The Croatian international joined Real Madrid on a lucrative deal and has not looked back since, picking up the Ballon d’Or in 2018 and winning 24 major trophies at the Spanish powerhouse so far.
The Los Blancos captain, who has played more than 400 games for the club, is set to add to that again this season with the LALIGA title within reach for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
