Remembering the night Luka Modric entered the 'world class' pantheon

Luka Modric has been a mainstay at Real Madrid for 10 years and is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. But everything could have been so different for the former Tottenham player…

Modric had arguably established himself as Spurs' most influential player by the time he left White Hart Lane in 2012, but when it comes to Real Madrid, past achievements count for little.

Best player of the last World Cup? Well, you're not the best player here. Star of another league? It doesn't matter, you'll start again at the Bernabeu.

This was arguably especially true of the pre-Decima era, with loyal fans so eager to celebrate their new heroes that it seemed like expectations could topple in demand.

There are the privileged few who have more time, of course, almost exclusively local "golden boys", but for everyone else, fan approval is as close to a meritocracy at its highest as it gets. level.

Those who arrive as small lights may earn hero status, but those who arrive with great reputation must back it up in the field before the goodwill evaporates.

Well, Luka Modric is still at Real Madrid - and with five more Champions League medals.

The fact that he established himself at the Bernabeu can largely be attributed to one game in particular.

Despite arriving for around £30m, Modric was not guaranteed a starting spot - almost half of his first 25 games for Madrid have come from the bench.

José Mourinho's side had won La Liga the previous season, scoring an obscene 121 league goals, so there was probably only room for one of Modric and fellow newcomer Michael Essien at most.

A moment of inspiration was needed to set Modric apart from the rest, and he would come to Europe, in a Champions League knockout tie against Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.

Modric watched from the bench as Danny Welbeck stunned the Madrid crowd in the first leg, only playing in the final quarter of an hour, long after Cristiano Ronaldo equalized, and he returned to the bench for the second leg . .

Things weren't looking good for Real when United, who hadn't lost a home Champions League knockout game since 2005, took the lead with an own goal from Sergio Ramos shortly after half-time.

But matches between Europe's top clubs can often hinge on the smallest of margins. Things like a tight offside or a player slipping on the approach to take a penalty.

Or, in this case, Nani's red card.



Whichever side of the fence you sit on when it comes to the harshness of that red card, Mourinho's instantaneous response to the call is equally crucial for the sending-off that decided the draw.

He might have chosen to force things by introducing a more attacking player like Jose Callejon or Karim Benzema, but instead he opted for Modric.

Heading to Old Trafford, Modric had scored just once for his new club, the fourth in a 4-0 demolition of Real Zaragoza in La Liga.

He's the man you brought in to keep the ball and hold the lead, not the one you introduced in the chase. Or at least not the man you brought in by continuing the match against 10 men.

Mourinho, however, seemed in no doubt about the switch, so we can probably give him credit for acknowledging Modric's ability to take advantage of the extra space provided by Nani's absence.

And it didn't even take 10 minutes for his decision to be justified.

For a little while, United seemed to be capable of a famous back-to-back...