Quotes from Luka Modric

When I first heard Madrid were interested, nothing else mattered. I just wanted to come here. This is the best club in the world, with the best coach and great players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria... so many great players.

You can't expect to score lots of goals in every game; football isn't like that.

I remember my first shin pads had the Brazilian Ronaldo on them, and I loved them.

When the war started, we became refugees, and it was a really tough time. I was six years old. These were really hard times. I remember them vividly, but it's not something you want to remember or think about.

Individual awards are important, but I am not obsessed with them.

Cristiano Ronaldo respects the fans - it's like a marriage. There are good days and bad days, but the important thing is that they love each other.

People in Real ask me about Mateo Kovacic all the time. He is a phenomenal talent and will play in some of the biggest clubs. Inter is a big club, no doubt, but Kovacic will play in even bigger.

It is very challenging to adapt to life at a big club like Madrid, but I'm not the kind of person to make excuses.

What is the most important is never to give up, never to give in to circumstances, to trust yourself.

You don't have to be a strapping lad to play football.

I don't like to compare players, particularly to myself.

I believe that I've improved a lot as a player and a person, because being surrounded by great players on a daily basis helps your development out on the pitch.

Sometimes, when we play against weaker teams, everyone says, 'Oh, you won because you played weaker teams.'

Of course it is very important for me to play for Croatia, however different it is to play at club level.

You can't predict things in football because anything can happen.

We are Madrid, and we want to define our own philosophy. We don't want to be compared to anyone.

In Madrid, the demand is maximum, and you have to always be at the top. If you are not, doubts come.

For me, the team is always more important.

Everyone has a different view on football, but I didn't have a fear that I wouldn't be good enough in England.

My favourite position is as midfielder, playing with Xabi and Khedira.

I knew sooner or later I would show my quality and show to everyone why I'm here, why Real made such an effort to bring me here.

You never tire of winning.

All I dreamed of when I became a footballer was to play for a club as big as Real Madrid. It's maybe the most famous and best club in the history of football.

My whole career, when I was in Croatia, people questioned me, saying I wouldn't make it, that I wasn't good enough because I wasn't big and strong.