Luka Modric has inspired Croatia as a soccer player, anchoring their national soccer team. Modric has played in every tournament the national team has qualified for since he became eligible, spanning back to the 2006 world cup. Modric has been a top soccer player, but his journey there was incredibly hard. Below we will overview the story of Luka Modric and the success he has seen on the big stages.
Luka Modric’s Story
Luka Modric’s upbringing might be one of a professional’s most challenging stories. Modric was a young boy living with his grandfather, playing for his local soccer team. His parents worked long hours, so his grandfather sought to look after him for the majority of the time. The young child lived in Modrici, a tiny town in Croatia. Unfortunately, during the 1991 war of independence, violent Serbian Militias stormed the small town where Modic lived. Then tragedy struck him at an early age as he was only six years old when his grandfather passed away; he was gruesomely publicly executed along with four other civilians. This gruesome and barbaric public act was to send the people who lived there the message that they needed to vacate the area, forcing Modrics’ family to flee to Zadar.
Refugees in Zadar
The Serbian Militia forced the Modric family out of their home city, forcing them to flee to Zadar. They lived in Hotel Lz, which had no running water or electricity, not to mention the sound of grenades and bullets nearby. They also had to worry about landmines being planted around their living area. These risks did not stop young Luka Modric from kicking around a punctured football with dreams of leaving the war-ridden existence behind. At a young age, he had a passion for the game, and even though they did not have much, Luka made the best of what he could.
Start of His Soccer Career
To start his career, when he was ten, many coaches had written him off because they believed he was too small, frail, and shy to make it in the game. However, he did play for an academy team when he moved to Zadar. One coach was willing to take a chance on him, Tomislav Basic. Luka played for him on a team in Zadar, so he stepped in to help get him a trial with Dinamo Zagreb. After a year of playing for Zagreb on the youth side, he was transferred to Zrinjski Mostar in the Bosnian Premier League. While playing there, he was named the Bosnian Premier player of the year while only 18 years old. He returned to Dinamo Zagreb in 2005, where he played incredibly, tallying 31 goals and 29 assists in the four seasons until he took his talents to the English premier league.
Luka Modric’s Professional Career
In 2008 Luka Modric jumped to the premier league, getting signed by the Tottenham Hotspurs. He had a slow start in his premier league career, with injuries plaguing him in the early stages of his career. In 2012 he was transferred to Real Madrid in a 30 million dollar deal. During his stint with Real Madrid, he has won 4 champions league trophies, showcasing his determination and winning spirit. In his La Liga career, he has scored over 25 times and has over 50 assists, being known as the midfield maestro for his ball control and passing ability. In 2018, he was also voted the best player in the world, ending the chokehold both Ronaldo and Messi had in the conversation for the sport. Overall, Luka Modric has had an incredible career. He has worked incredibly hard to be in the position he is in life and will go down in the history books as a very inspirational football player.
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