Remembering the night Luka Modric entered the pantheon of ‘world class’

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

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

Best player at the last World Cup? Well, you’re not the best player here. Star of another league? Doesn’t matter, you’ll be starting again at the Bernabeu.

This was arguably especially true of the pre-Decima era, with loyal supporters so keen to celebrate their new heroes that it felt as though expectation could tip over into demand.

There are the privileged few who are afforded more time, of course, almost exclusively local ‘golden boys’, but for everyone else, fan approval is as close as possible to a meritocracy at the top level.

Those who arrive as lesser lights can earn themselves hero status, but those that arrive with big reputations need to back it up on the pitch before goodwill evaporates.

Well, Luka Modric is still at Real – and with five Champions League medals to boot.

That he has established himself at the Bernabeu can be put down in no small part to one game in particular.

Despite joining for around £30million, Modric did not find himself guaranteed a starting berth initially – nearly half of his first 25 games for Madrid came from the bench.

Jose Mourinho’s team had won La Liga the previous season, scoring an obscene 121 league goals, so there was only ever likely to be room for one of Modric and fellow new arrival Michael Essien at most.

A moment of inspiration was required for Modric to mark himself out above the rest, and it would come in Europe, in a Champions League knockout tie against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.

Modric was watching from the bench as Danny Welbeck stunned the Madrid crowd in the first leg, only making it on for the last quarter of an hour, long after Cristiano Ronaldo’s equaliser, and he again started on the bench for the return leg.

Things did not look good for Real when United, who had not lost a home Champions League knockout game since 2005, took the lead through a Sergio Ramos own goal shortly after half-time.

But games between top European clubs can often hinge on the smallest of margins. Things like a tight offside call, or a player slipping on the run-up to take a penalty.

Or, in…