Picking up the most influential player of Real Madrid of the last decade, other than, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo, is a burdensome task.
The list of world-class talents that have worn the famous white shirt in the last ten years is virtually endless, and their contribution to preserving the shirt’s prestige cannot be overestimated.
However, one name that appears closer than most to the top of that list is that of Luka Modric.
Modric quickly became a regular in the starting XI at Santiago Bernabeu following his arrival from Tottenham in 2012.
Along with Ronaldo, he was a key figure in the team’s conquest of Europe from 2014 to 2018 as Los Blancos enjoyed four Champions League triumphs within five seasons.
The prolific Portuguese and the masterful Croatian together also guided the Spanish giants to two La Liga titles, three UEFA Super Cups, as many Club World Cups, and a few other domestic trophies.
The midfielder then became the player to break Ronaldo and Lionel Messi‘s duopoly in the Ballon d’Or awards by winning it in 2018.
In an interview with The Times, Modric suggests that one of the best qualities of Ronaldo he admired was his ability to single-handedly decide games.
“Playing with him was amazing. We enjoyed seven amazing years together, won so many things with him on our team,” he stated.
“Even when you weren’t in the best form Cristiano could still win you the game with his attitude and his skills and quality.
“Everything was special about him – the way he worked hard on training and that’s why you can expect something special from him even when things aren’t going the right way.”
