DANNY MURPHY: How Luka Modric is unlike any other current Ballon d'Or winner

Only four current players have won the Ballon d’Or and three of them — Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema — now play in the less arduous Saudi Arabian and North American leagues.

Luka Modric is a different story. Aged 38, he has just won his sixth Champions League with Real Madrid and tomorrow night collects his 178th cap for Croatia in what could be his final match in a major international tournament.

It is remarkable for anyone to survive so long at this elite level, given that midfield is the toughest position of all. I was 36 when I retired in the Championship at Blackburn. The mind was still willing, but the body sadly was not.

I’m in awe of Modric’s consistency and feel privileged I will be in Leipzig to cover the great man trying to prolong Croatia’s stay at the Euros by beating Italy.

Modric is a phenomenon and an icon in his country. Two things stand out in particular about his almost freakish longevity.

Physically, you need to put an enormous amount of work in to stay at his level in the ‘engine room’. He has wonderful technical gifts, but you also need focus and discipline every year.

I’m not sure people realise how tough that is and given that Modric has won 31 trophies and the biggest individual prize the sport has to offer, it would have been much easier for him to call it a day rather than keep going through the sacrifices and pain barrier.

Like Ronaldo, to stay in that peak condition there is no chance to ever let yourself go, even in the off-season.

And every August, you have to work doubly-hard to keep up with the youngsters.

Family time suffers and even if you love football, it is natural as you get older to think of the luxuries you can have after retirement, like the holidays, that extra lie-in and enjoying your Christmas dinner and a tipple, like other people do. Yet Modric carries on, with all the pressure that goes with the leadership of your country.

Jermaine Jenas played with him at Tottenham and says you could not meet a more humble guy.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone in the game have a bad word to say about Luka. It’s rare for anyone of that talent to remain so unaffected.

I realise Pepe and Ronaldo are older than Modric and are also at the Euros, but as a former midfielder I think the challenges are greater for the Croat.

As a player, even though I wasn’t known for my speed, I had that little burst of sharpness that would help me. Once I started to lose that, I had to be honest with myself and call it quits, even though I had a year left on my contract.

Modric has been an amazing ambassador for his sport and his country. In a multi-million pound industry, where greed has become more common, he has never been vulgar or arrogant.

He is an example to young players about how to conduct yourself and inspire others as a role model. You don’t have to shout from the rooftops or throw tantrums, just go out and set the standards.

After a defeat and a draw, Croatia need to beat Italy to stay in Germany. There is no guarantee Modric will be around for the next World Cup, whether through personal choice or his country not qualifying, so this is a huge game.

My eyes are always drawn to the little magician when he’s playing, but even more so on this occasion, when I’m helping call the game for the BBC.

He always seems to have time and space on the pitch, a sign of a great. It would not surprise me if he was the best player on the park against the Italians.

I look back at my days playing against him for Fulham thankful he was still in his infancy as a player rather than the superstar he became.

I’m not usually star-struck, but if I’m allowed in the tunnel tomorrow, I will seek Luka out to shake his hand and say thank you.