Luka Modric ‘will play on into his 40s’ says Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic ahead of Real Madrid Champions League clash

MATEO KOVACIC says his hero Luka Modric can keep going at the top until he is 40.

Real Madrid’s Croatian midfield genius is 36 now but shows no signs of slowing down — and his countryman Kovacic knows why.

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The Chelsea star said: “In the last five, six, or seven years he has been at the same level, which is amazing.

“The reason he is so good is because he loves football so much, he lives it every day.

“He is a professional and if he keeps going like this, I can see him still playing for three or four more years at such a high level.

“He is an amazing player. I admired him when I was a child — he played for my favourite club, Dinamo Zagreb.

“Now we have become good friends, I admire him even more.

“A great person, great player — I am looking forward to playing against him again.”

Chelsea are 3-1 down from the first leg and Kovacic is under no illusion about the task of facing players with the quality of Modric — who has won the Champions League four times and captains Croatia.

Kovacic said: “It is nice to play against him, but difficult. We were losing and it’s never nice when you are losing and having a hard time.

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“I always prefer to have him on my team but at this moment we are against each other. We are ready to show our best and try to go through.”