Croatia's chances hinge on form of mercurial Modric

Zagreb: Croatian hopes of success at Euro 2012 will depend largely on the form of their most influential and creative player — midfielder Luka Modric.

The Tottenham Hotspur playmaker, who pulls all the strings in Croatia's attacking play, needs to regain his best form after a sluggish couple of months for his club if they are to emerge successfully from a group that includes holders Spain, Italy and Ireland.

Modric, as skilful as he is slight, has flourished since he moved to White Hart Lane from Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb in 2008 and is a transfer target of richer rival clubs in the Premier League and Europe. The dynamic Modric, 26, has been indispensable to Croatia since making his debut, at 20, in a friendly against Argentina.

He broke into the first team immediately and demonstrated his talent and promise in the 2006 World Cup finals, where Croatia narrowly missed claiming a place in the round of 16.

Superb example

"He is a wonderful player," Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said recently. "And has that gift of creating space out of nothing. He is also a superb example to other players, never a moment's trouble.

"I have been so blessed working with him, and the other Croatians Niko Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka at this club. They are outstanding players and people."

Having won three successive league titles and two cups with Dinamo, Modric shone at Euro 2008, where Croatia reached the quarter-finals only to be eliminated in dramatic fashion.

They took the lead against Turkey in the 119th minute, but conceded an equaliser with the last kick of extra time and then lost the penalty shootout.

Modric was the first of three Croatians who missed.

This morale-crushing defeat did not affect Modric's confidence and he continued playing at a high level for Croatia and new club Tottenham.