Luka Modric has revealed that to this day, he is dumbfounded by one thing that did not happen to his Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp.
Spurs were on the up and were pushing for Champions League qualification under Martin Jol, but after a lull under Juande Ramos, it was Redknapp who finally took the club to the promised land.
The Lilywhites were formidable in the Premier League and in Europe across their three-and-a-half seasons under the English boss.
They boasted of some of the best players in the league, such as Modric, Scott Parker, Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart, Ledley King and Jermain Defoe.
Luka Modric admits Harry Redknapp was the ‘ideal’ coach for Tottenham
That Spurs side also had a big Croatian contingent, with Niko Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka part of the set-up, while goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa was also at the club for a brief period.
Modric has admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed being part of that Tottenham team under Redknapp and believes that England made a huge mistake by not appointing him for their national side.
The AC Milan man told 24 Sata about the Spurs team under Redknapp: “We played one of the most beautiful football styles in the league. We even beat Liverpool at home. Then there was that famous 4-4 match against Arsenal at the Emirates. We played phenomenally. He loved the Croatians and was truly the ideal coach for our team. A real expert, a guy who understands football.
“He observes, says what’s needed, and gives precise instructions on what to do on the pitch. At one point, there were four of us: Pletikosa, Kranjcar, Carli, and I, and they called us ‘Crotenham’. He understood football, and in my opinion, it’s unbelievable that he never became England’s national coach. He was ideal for that generation they had.”
Redknapp’s flirtation with England ultimately cost him the Spurs job
Towards the end of the 2011-12 season, it seemed certain at one point that Redknapp would replace Fabio Capello, but the job inexplicably went to Roy Hodgson.
The former Tottenham boss was openly flirting with the England job, making it clear that he would find it hard to turn down the Three Lions.
That coincided with a poor end to the season for Spurs, who dropped down to fourth place in the final standings.
That was not enough for Champions League qualification as Chelsea took the final spot by winning the competition that campaign, leading to the former Tottenham boss’s sacking.
Redknapp may perhaps look back on that period and wish he had not taken his eye off the ball, as he had built a serious team at Tottenham, who could have won some big trophies had he stayed two more seasons.