By Joel Fitzpatrick,
England midfielder Jordan Henderson said Tuesday that Croatia's main man Luka Modric is one of the best players he has faced.
One day before England and Croatia meet in Moscow for a place in the World Cup final, Henderson gave a Modric a glowing assessment.
(Jordan Henderson (L) raves about Luka Modric at a press conference on July 10) [Getty/Kyodo]
"I have played against Modric a few times, he's a world-class player, probably one of the best I have played against," said Henderson, who with Liverpool lost to Modric's Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final.
"Hopefully, he has a quiet night tomorrow. We will do our best to keep him quiet."
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic was clear that he knows as goes Modric, as goes Croatia.
He said Modric has shown for many years the kind of spirit and desire that personifies the Croatian team and nation.
"Sometimes I wonder when you see him after 115 minutes sprinting to retrieve a ball, it shows his character, his desire," said the 51-year-old Dalic.
Modric, 32, made his name in England, becoming one of Tottenham Hotspurs' all-time greats over his four seasons in North London, and since he moved to Real Madrid in 2012, the team has won La Liga once and the Champions League four times.
(Modric celebrates after Croatia beat Russia in the quarterfinals)
But with the national team, success has been harder to find.
Before Russia, in three World Cups and three European championships, Modric had only gone to the quarterfinal stage, at Euro 2008, and Dalic said time is ticking.
"At club level, Luka has achieved everything possible, but he has not done so for the national team," said Dalic.
"He is playing the best football of his life, particularly for the national team. Since this World Cup is his last, given his age, I am very happy he is one of the players among the last four teams."
"Along with Luka, all the other players are putting in an effort. We have achieved our success as a compact team who do not give in, who work for one another, and this is maybe one of the best periods for Luka."
