Luka is smiling assassin... so watch out, City
LUKA MODRIC brings a smile to everyone’s face when they watch the Croatian magician in action.
None more so than his old Tottenham coach Kevin Bond.
Harry Redknapp’s former Spurs assistant – still going strong as part of Joey Barton’s staff with Bristol Rovers in League Two – tuned in for the most recent instalment of a midfield masterclass when Real Madrid dumped Chelsea out of the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage.
Modric’s sublime outside-of-thefoot pass for Rodrygo’s vital 80th-minute goal had Bond on his feet applauding like everyone else.
Bond (below) said: “I sent Luka a message after the final whistle. It was, ‘Amazing, amazing, amazing’.
“He’s always had that ability, the best outside-of-theright-foot you can imagine. He was doing that every day in training. It brings a smile to my face when I see it.
“One of the best things about Luka Modric is that he’s one of the nicest men I’ve ever met in football.
“Just a lovely, lovely man. There is no bad side to him.
“He’s won however many Champions Leagues now and still he is just that lovely guy – and knowing that makes it all the more pleasing to see him do so well.”
Modric was already at White Hart Lane a few months when Redknapp replaced Juande
Ramos in October 2008.
The midfielder was only 23, but soon began to make Bond and plenty of others reassess their long-held belief systems about what was required to thrive in the Premier League. “Luka wasn’t the biggest, he certainly wasn’t the tallest, and there was a perception that he couldn’t play central midfield in a two,” said Bond.
“He was playing off the left, a bit narrower, and the feeling was you needed stronger people in the middle.
“But it became evident pretty quickly what a good player this guy was.
“After a short period of time Luka got in there.
“It is laughable to think we even contemplated the thought of Luka Modric not being able to play in a midfield two. He ran the show and was amazing, and we learned that quickly.
“He continued to excel throughout his time at Spurs.”
It is what brought him to the attention of Madrid, who came calling the season before he eventually moved to Spain in 2012. “But the club wouldn’t let him go,” Bond recalled. “Daniel Levy wouldn’t let him. He was under contract and everybody understood why he wanted to make the move.
“Luka was hugely disappointed that he couldn’t go to Real Madrid.
“But unlike so many other players he got on with it, he got over the disappointment and had another fantastic season before he left.
“That’s testament to the kind of man he is.”
Modric will now be aiming to continue Manchester City’s Champions League purgatory when the sides meet at the Etihad Stadium for the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday.
Bond will have mixed loyalties given he played over 100 times for City in the early 1980s. But that will not stop him smiling as Modric continues to shine.