Football Genius: Luka Modric

Luka Modrić was born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and for the Croatia national football team. He moved to the Premier League in 2008 and has since achieved significant success with the Spurs. He was one of the leading forces of the Croatian national team at the Euro 2008. Modrić's childhood coincided with the Croatian War of Independence. After showing promise in hometown club Zadar's youth team, he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb as a teenager in 2002. His professional career began with loan spells at Zrinjski Mostar and Inter Zaprešić. While he was playing for GNK Dinamo Zagreb, they won three consecutive league titles and several domestic cups, with Modrić named Prva HNL "Player of the Year" in 2007. 

After a season with Dinamo Zagreb's youth side, he was loaned out in 2003 to Zrinjski Mostar in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During this spell, he established his versatile style of play and became the Bosnian and Herzegowinian League Player of the Year while still only 18 years old. He later claimed that "someone who can play in the Bosnian league can play anywhere", referring to its physical nature. The following year, he was again loaned out, this time to Inter Zaprešić in his home country. He spent one season with them, helping the team to achieve 2nd position in the Croatian first league, and a place in UEFA Cup (now Europa League) preliminary round, as well as being awarded the Croatian Football Hope of the Year award in 2004. He returned to Dinamo Zagreb in 2005. 

In 2005, Modrić signed his first long-term contract with Dinamo through to 2015. After a goalless first season, he managed to secure a place in Dinamo's first team, contributing 7 goals in 31 matches to help win the league. During this time, Modrić rapidly established his role as playmaker or designated left winger in the team's 4–2–3–1 formation. During the Croatian War of Independence, Modrić and his family lived in the village of Modrići near Obrovac but they were forced to flee the area when he was 6 years old. His father, Stipe, was in the Croatian army, and he lost his grandfather in the fighting while his family were refugees, living in a hotel on the island of Iž near Zadar. It was in these difficult circumstances that Modrić began playing football. When his father returned from the army, he used the little money the family had to enroll his son in the local sporting academy. After displaying some talent, Luka signed with Dinamo Zagreb as a 17 year old in 2002. 

At his last home game with Dinamo at Maksimir Stadium, Modrić was given a standing ovation and fans held up supportive banners. He finished his impressive six year tenure at Dinamo with a tally of 31 goals and 29 assists in four seasons, contributing most notably in the 2007–08 season when Dinamo became champions by a 28 point margin and won the Croatian cup in the same year. 

Modrić agreed transfer terms with Tottenham Hotspur on 26 April 2008. He was the first of many summer signings for coach Juande Ramos, and also the Premier League's first summer transfer. In the 2006–07 season, Dinamo again won the league with Modrić making a similar contribution, acknowledged by the Prva HNL Player of the Year award. The following season, he led Dinamo's attempt to qualify for the UEFA cup. In the final play-off stage, Modrić converted a penalty in the away fixture against AFC Ajax in a game that ended 1–1 after normal time. Dinamo then went on to win the game 3–2 in extra time after a brace from teammate Mario Mandžukić secured their win on away goals. However, Dinamo Zagreb still failed to advance beyond the group stage. After signing a 6 year contract from summer 2008, Tottenham confirmed that the total fee paid was £16.5 million, equalling the club's record fee set by Darren Bent's move in 2007. Modrić made his debut for Tottenham on 28 July 2008 in a pre-season friendly against Norwich City. He played 45 minutes at Carrow Road during the 5–1 victory. His competitive debut was on 16 August in the 2–1 defeat by Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium in Spurs' first match of the 2008–09 Premier League season. 

He made his full international debut on 1 March 2006 in a friendly match against Argentina in Basel, Switzerland, which Croatia won 3–2. Modrić's first international experience came at youth level, playing for the Croatian U-17, U-19 and under-21 teams. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, he made two appearances as a substitute in the group fixtures against Japan and Australia. 

With the appointment of new manager Slaven Bilić, Modrić earned greater recognition at international level, scoring his first goal in Croatia's 2–0 friendly win over Italy on 16 August 2006 in Livorno. His performances ensured a regular place in the international side, and he gave an impressive showing in Croatia's successful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, which recorded home and away victories against England. 

In the quarter-final against Turkey, Modrić took advantage of a mistake by veteran Turkish goalkeeper Rüştü Reçber, and crossed to teammate Ivan Klasnić for the first goal of the game with only a minute remaining of extra time. However, Semih Şentürk equalised for Turkey almost immediately. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Modrić failed to score the first penalty with his off-target kick. Turkey went on to win the shootout 3-1. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 6, he scored three goals, matching Ivan Rakitić, Ivica Olić and Eduardo da Silva, but the team fell short of qualifying by a single point behind Ukraine. At the end of the competition, Modrić was included in the UEFA Team of the Tournament, becoming only the second Croatian to ever achieve this honour, the first being Davor Šuker.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Zinedine Zidane – Luis Figo – El-Shaaravy, Thiago Silva – Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Antonio Cassano - Ricardo Kaka - Neymar – Ricardo Montolivo – Marcelo Bielsa – Jose Mourinho – Kevin Prince Boateng - Alessandro Del Piero – Alessandro Nesta – Paolo Maldini – Marek Hamsik – Benzema – Gonsalo Higuain – Carles Puyol – Lionel Messi – Diego Maradona – Hernan Crespo – Pele – Gaizka Mendieta – Roberto Baggio – Gabriel Batistuta – Serie A – Soccer – La Liga – Carlos Tevez – Real Madrid – FC Barcelona, AC Milan – UEFA – FIFA – Juventus – Transfers – Massimiliano Allegri – Chelsea – Manchester United – Manchester City – Euro 2012 – Irina Shake – Helen Swedin – Sara Carbonero – Iker Casilias – Xabi Alonso – Xavi – Andres Iniesta – Lazio – Galacticos – Mario Gomez – Aguero – Luka Modric - Pepe.