Slaven Bilic, Croatia’s national team manager, has praised veteran midfielder Luka Modric as the “most complete midfielder of the modern era” ahead of their Nations League match against England on Thursday evening in Rijeka. Modric, 41, continues to play a pivotal role for both his country and AC Milan, where he remains a key figure despite his advancing age.

Bilic, who recently returned to manage Croatia for a second stint, emphasized Modric’s enduring influence on and off the field. The former West Ham manager highlighted that Modric’s longevity and effectiveness stem not only from his passion and work rate but also from his sustained physical speed and technical skill. “He is unique, that is why he has lasted so long, he is more than a player and captain for us,” Bilic said. “He is important on the pitch, he makes a difference for AC Milan, they are not the same team without him.”

Modric’s career highlights include leading Croatia to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and winning the Ballon d’Or the same year. Bilic noted that while Modric’s talents have long been recognized within football circles, global appreciation of his abilities fully materialized only after the 2018 tournament. “He does and he doesn’t get the credit he deserves, he does because he won the Ballon d’Or,” Bilic remarked. “Maybe before 2018 he didn’t get the recognition that we had for him. But after that World Cup, he became a star.”

Bilic praised Modric for his all-encompassing skill set, which includes both attacking creativity and defensive responsibility. “He is the guy crossing, trying to break the lines and then in the next action he is stopping the counter-attack,” Bilic said. “I don’t know many players who can do it on that high level.”

Modric is expected to start against England, a familiar rival against whom Croatia has achieved notable success. Bilic himself was part of the Croatian squad that famously defeated England during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, and he masterminded that victory as a player and later as a manager. However, Bilic acknowledged that the upcoming fixture will be challenging. The match will take place in front of a restricted crowd in Rijeka, adding another layer of complexity, but Bilic stressed that flawless execution will be essential for any chance of success. “Whenever we have played and beaten a top nation one thing has always had to happen – we had to play a perfect game,” he said.

As Croatia prepares for their Nations League encounter, Bilic’s confidence in Modric appears unwavering, underscoring the midfielder’s enduring importance to the national team’s ambitions at both the individual and collective levels.