Former West Ham midfielder Mark Noble has admitted there was one Tottenham Hotspur player who was just “unplayable”.
The Lilywhites take on the Hammers tonight at the London Stadium in a game which could put down a real marker in the Champions League race.
Ange Postecoglou’s side were able to get over the line against Luton Town on Saturday despite the Hatters put up a stern test.
However, the now sporting director for the Irons, Noble, has been looking back on some of the Spurs sides he faced during his playing days.
What Mark Noble said about Luka Modric
The Croatian played six times for Spurs against the Hammers and was on the winning side on four occasions.
He was even able to find the back of the net and provide an assist in those games before heading off for Real Madrid.
Daniel Levy brought Modric to north London back in 2008 from Dinamo Zagreb for £15m and then sold him in 2012 for £30m.
Looking back on that sale – considering Gareth Bale left for £85m – Real Madrid got themselves an absolute bargain.
The 38-year-old is still playing for Madrid to this day having racked up a staggering 522 appearances for the Spanish giants.
And it is apparent the former West Ham captain did not enjoy his battles against the Croatian. He told Jermaine Jenas on TNT Sports: “When playing against Modric, at that time, at times when you think, ‘wow he was that good’.
“And Jemaine you’ve played against players which we all know Modric was great, of course, world class… until you actually play against someone and you go, ‘wow, he’s actually like top, top’. And there was a game at White Hart Lane, I can’t remember who else played with him, but he was unplayable.”
What Gareth Bale said about Luka Modric
Considering what he has achieved in his career with Real Madrid, it is no surprise to hear a lot of praise directed towards the midfielder.
But the sheer quality of the player can be seen through what he has been able to win during his time in the Spanish capital.
Here is a run down of the trophies he has been able to get his hands on since moving to the Santiago Bernabeu.
- 3X La Ligas
- 5X Champions Leagues
- 5X Spanish Super Cups
- 2X Copa del Reys
- 4X Fifa World Club Cups
- 4X UEFA Super Cup
- 1X Ballon d’Or
- 1X FIFA Best Men’s Player
Statistics via Transfermarkt.
But Spurs fans will be all too familiar with the partnership of Bale and Modric given the Welshman followed the midfielder to Madrid in 2013.
The pair have lifted numerous trophies together during their time at Madrid and Bale has previously spoken incredibly highly of his former teammate.
Back in 2018, he tweeted after Modric was awarded FIFA Best Men’s Player: “Congratulations my friend! An unbelievable player and an unbelievable season.”
Bale may have hailed Modric for what he done on the pitch, but Jenas recently spoken about the Croatian’s antics away from the pitch.
Looking back on Modric’s arrival in north London, Jenas shed some light on a hilarious story involving Modric during a players’ night out in the capital.
The Croatian has been a special player and how Postecoglou would welcome a player of his quality into this current Spurs squad.