MONACO, August 31 (TNS): Real Madrid’s Croatian Maestro midfielder Luka Modric won the accolade of UEFA Player of the Year on Thursday, in Monaco after his stellar campaign in Summer World Cup and the Champions League last season.
“My father always pushed me to fight for my dreams, I owe him a lot for everything,” said Modric, whose silky midfield skills helped Real to a third straight European crown and then propelled Croatia to the World Cup final.
“It’s an incredible moment for me, I feel really excited and proud of this great award,” said the 32-year-old, who started out at Dinamo Zagreb and then had four years with Tottenham before Real prised him away six years ago.
Modric, whose success sets him up as a favourite to win the Ballon d’Or world player of the year accolade, saw off former Real teammate Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah for the overall award.
