Modric claims he's 'too old' at 35 to follow Bale's lead and return to Spurs

Tottenham fans have seen one of their former stars return this summer but are unlikely to be welcoming another back in the future.

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has claimed he is 'too old' to follow Gareth Bale's path from Spain to north London.

The 35-year-old has just eight months left on his deal at the Bernabeu and has been discussing his future.

'I'm too old to go back to Tottenham,' Modric told FourFourTwo. 'I still have a year left in Madrid and then we'll see what happens.

'I feel good and I want to continue playing football for a few more years. I am focused on Madrid and the things we can achieve this season.

'Afterwards I will sit down to talk to the management, and we will look for a suitable solution for everyone. I have forged a good relationship with all the people of the club and no matter what happens there will be no problem.'

Modric made the move from Tottenham to Real after starring at the heart of the midfield at White Hart Lane in the summer of 2012 for a £33million fee.

Bale and Modric played together for four years at Tottenham before attracting the attention of the LaLiga giants.

The Welsh winger followed Modrid through the door at Real a year later but this summer completed a stunning return to Spurs on a season-long loan this summer after being frozen out by Zinedine Zidane.