Source: Daily_Mail
Redknapp: My Modric is good enough to play for anyone (so hands off Fergie!)
Luka Modric could walk into any team in the world on current form, according to Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.
The midfielder, 23, has shone for Tottenham on the left wing, in central midfield and behind the front two. Redknapp admitted that Sir Alex Ferguson and Slaven Bilic have both told him that they see Modric as a unique talent.
'I think he could play for any team in the world,' said Redknapp. 'I said Lassana Diarra could play for any team in the world after two weeks at Portsmouth and he ended up at Real Madrid. This kid's the same.
'Alex Ferguson said to me after the the Carling Cup final last week that he thought he was fantastic and Alex changed how they played because of him.
'Sir Alex said "I took John O'Shea off and changed our system because Modric was causing us so many problems".
'We're looking to keep pushing Tottenham forward and hope that he won't want to go anywhere. I said to Ferguson, "no, you don't want him, Alex".'
'Luka never misses a day's training. I've had a few Croatian lads over the years and I've found them to be terrific lads.
'Slaven Bilic played for me as well. I talk to Slaven a lot. He tells me that this fella will be one of the best players in the world.'
Redknapp thinks Modric is 'an amazing player with a great brain' but admits he was surprised by the Croatian's bravery.
'Not only is he a great footballer, he's strong,' said Redknapp. 'He works for the team, he takes knocks, he gets on with it. He challenges, he heads it.
'Against Stoke, he played central in a 4-4-2. Against a physical team, he was the best player on the pitch.
'Niko Kranjcar said he's one of the best players he's ever seen. He really is a top player and he's only a kid as well. When he plays, you always feel he'll open a door for you.
'It's like what Manchester United do with Ronaldo, Rooney or Tevez. They've got people who can suddenly just kill you.'
Redknapp also hit back at Ricky Sbragia, the manager of Sunderland - Spurs' opponents today.
Sbragia was upset in January by Tottenham's pursuit of Kenwyne Jones. But Redknapp said: 'They probably used us as much. Niall Quinn, the Sunderland chairman, was quite pleased to go to his board and owners and say "Tottenham want to pay this for Jones, we don't want to sell him, but it shows that we have some real assets here". That is good for him.
'I don't know why Ricky said what he did. I have never spoken to him since he got the job. It was not a case of me speaking to him or Niall Quinn. It is the chairman who speaks - 100%.
'I think that what probably happens is that agents get involved with the chairman and said that the lad wants to move. Then that is when they probably get upset. But I don't think that Niall would have been upset. And Jones got a new contract!'
But Redknapp said he has no hard feelings, adding: 'I'll see him and have a glass of wine with him. I saw Niall at Arsenal and had a cup of tea with him.'
Sbragia, meanwhile, says he would have walked out on the club after less than a fortnight in charge if they had sold Jones.
Sbragia said: 'Previously Sunderland might have sold Kenwyne but we've changed and we want to progress now. The only way we'll do that is by keeping our best players and then bringing in some better quality in the summer.
'I'll be honest with you - if we'd have lost Kenwyne, I may as well have packed my bags and gone because he would have been such a big loss to us.
'There was dialogue, don't get me wrong, but it was always a "no" from our point of view. We are not just here to produce players for other clubs.
'I could understand it if Spurs were a top four club but Kenwyne is settled here and so are his family.'
