Luka Modric is a genius who does the dirty work

He has been so consistent for club and country. It is very hard to live up to expectations every single day in every match but somehow he does it. He is different, and in every way he is so special. The kind of passion he brings to the table when playing for Croatia inspires a nation; despite that, he remains so humble.

In the match against Japan, he was everywhere. He would be in defence, then in the midfield, and when needed, in attack as well. Remember, Croatia have played the same midfield in every match and they would have been feeling the fatigue, but even at 37 he was scrambling because the team needed him to. He has no ego and he is a genius who isn’t shy of doing dirty work.

The path to reaching this point hasn’t always been easy. His talent was obvious right from the start but even then he needed some luck. But each time he got a chance, he made it count.

There was a time in 2012, which I remember clearly as I was Croatia’s national coach then, when he was trying to switch from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid. He wasn’t allowed to train with the team and spent the pre-season cooling his heels. He was finally given permission to join just one hour before the transfer deadline but his fitness levels had dropped. I needed to stay in touch with Jose Mourinho, who was then Real coach, on an almost daily basis and we carefully came up with a programme that would allow him to get back to his best ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.

It took almost six months and despite being at the receiving end of a lot of criticism from the Spanish press, he made it work. Few will forget the stunning goal he scored against United in the Champions League in 2013. He made his space and then unleashed a shot that silenced all critics… forever.

Mourinho wanted to convince everyone that he was a great signing but even the greats take some time to adapt; and once he did that he was unstoppable.

His play, his movement, his vision are all things that cannot be explained. In a sense, he is very similar to Lionel Messi. They are of a similar height, have very strong legs and a low centre of gravity. The way they keep the ball, the way they move and their sharp turns can make those around them look clumsy.

Modric is not the player he was four years ago but unlike Messi or Ronaldo who now choose their moments and conserve themselves for them, he just gives it his all. Against Japan, he ran himself to the ground and when he could do it no more, he asked the coach to replace him. He could have chosen to hide on the field, but for him the team always comes first. That is the kind of guy he is. You never hear him raise his voice in the locker room or have an argument with anyone. He respects everyone, and everyone in turn respects him. This humble nature is why he is one of our most loved players.

Every little kid in Croatia wants to be a Modric. In 2018, Modrić became the first Croatian player to win the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award, and by winning The Best FIFA Men’s Player and Ballon d’Or awards, he became the first player other than Messi or Ronaldo to claim the awards in more than a decade. There were other titles too. He is the idol his country needs.

Here in India, we see so many people wearing Brazil or Argentina jerseys, but if you go to Croatia you won’t see anyone wearing anything other than a Croatia jersey. And that is down to the hard work done by Modric and other footballing greats of the country. It is okay to support a different team but important to wear the jersey of your own nation; important to believe. That is where it begins. In Croatia, we always believed.

Every match could be Modric’s last for the country but even now his numbers remain incredible. This isn’t a guy who is interested in slacking off; rather this is a guy who wants to be the link; he is the connector and he’ll always be there for Croatia.

— Igor Stimac is coach of the Indian men’s football team. He was a member of the Croatia team that finished third in the 1998 World Cup