Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric has welcomed praise from Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Modric, 23, said: "If you look at the class of players Mr Ferguson has managed over the years then I think it's safe to presume he knows a class player when he sees one. So to have praise from a man like that is fantastic. My Croatia boss Slaven Bilic said similar things to me, telling me that I could be as good as Kaka and Leo Messi, who like me isn't very big but still the defenders can't cope with him.

"When top managers like those say things like that you have to be happy, you can't get carried away."