Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has admitted that Harry Redknapp helped him develop as a player.

Modric shone in the Premier League under Redknapp, before eventually leaving for Real Madrid.

He has since won every trophy available to him at club level, but has not forgotten the influence of Redknapp.

“We played 4-4-2 at Tottenham. I was on the left wing. Gareth [Bale] was behind me, imagine," said the Croat on Rio Ferdinand's Between the Lines.

"And then Harry [Redknapp] one game, when he came after six/seven games he came to Tottenham and he decided to put me in the midfield like a number 6 with two midfielders."

On Redknapp, he added: “Very important, great guy, great coach. He gives every player so much confidence in him, that is amazing. I remember when he put me in the middle, after Gareth changed from left-back to left-winger, we had Aaron Lennon on the right and the two strikers had a lot of speed in the team. I remember he used to sing 'give the ball to Luka'. He makes you feel important. He gives you so much confidence.

"These four years that we played with him, that he was our coach, it was so good. We played so well. Unfortunately we couldn't win something but because your team [Man Utd] at the time were very strong, other teams were very strong and we couldn't but we played some great football at the time."