If Paul Robinson is still at Tottenham when Luka Modric arrives for preseason training, the introductions will be interesting. Robinson is not one of those goalkeepers, such as David James, who ignores criticism easily and it was Modric who said he was a weakness that Croatia would target when England went to Zagreb in Euro 2008 qualifying. Robinson unravelled there with the help of a bobbling back pass. A midfielder’s role is to pick apart opponents; Modric does this on and off the field.

In the warped values of modern football, questioning “a fellow professional” is more taboo than diving and Modric’s comments were an insight to his character. He is independent, forthright and unafraid: a tough cookie, albeit a bite-sized one. At 5ft 6in and 10st, there is much less of him than there was of Johan Cruyff but their facial resemblance is noted and, rather than shy from comparisons, Modric embraces them, asking Spurs to set aside the No 14 shirt that Cruyff made famous. It was the number he wore at Wembley in November when he choreo-graphed Croatia’s 3-2 win.

The 22-year-old kicks off against Austria in Vienna tonight as one of the players fashionable for pundits to pick when naming potential stars of the tournament. At Dinamo Zagreb he was a widelying playmaker, but Slaven Bilic, who nurtured him as under21s coach, uses him in the centre and as the focus of Croatia’s strategies. Bilic calls him “the alpha and omega” of the side.

“Only Kaka is better than Modric,” says Bilic. “He’s unstoppable, hard even to foul.” Like Lionel Messi, Modric is a rare case in the modern game of mite over matter. Bigger opponents do not quell him. He learnt to play on hard, bumpy pitches in his village of Zaton, near Zadar on the Dalmatian coast. “I loved when the ball would bounce from a rock and stick to my leg,” he recalls. Further toughening was achieved when Dinamo sent him on loan to Zrinjski Mostar in the Bosnian league. He was 18 and, amid defenders who were “without mercy” he says, he became Bosnia’s player of the year.

“I was never afraid of challenges and when I arrived at Dinamo Zagreb from Zadar [his first club] as a boy, I knew I would make it,” says Modric. “I was sent out on loan to Zrinjski in the Bosnian League. He who survives big matches there becomes a true player.” Zaton came under attack from Serb rebels led by the war criminal Ratko Mladic during the Balkan conflict of the early 1990s. Modric, along with many of the village’s children, was evacuated and went into hiding.

When Croatia gained independence football was its principal outlet for national pride and of the trinity of great players that led the Croats to the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 two, Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki, were subtle and cerebral creators. Modric is seen as their heir. Bilic’s predecessor, Zlatko Kranjcar, preferred his son, Niko, to Modric at the 2006 World Cup but Bilic finds room for both.

Having lost Eduardo, leading scorer in qualifying, the coach faces a dilemma about whether to retain his 4-1-3-2 system or use Mladen Petric as a lone striker. “We have to be focused and not whinge because we are without him [Eduardo],” says Modric. “We have class players like Ivan Klasnic, Igor Budan and Petric who can take his place.”

Modric and Eduardo are close and Modric set up many of the latter’s goals when they were at Dinamo Zagreb. His independent streak is illustrated by his plan to set North London rivalries aside and move into an apartment at the same Hertford-shire buildings as the Arsenal striker. When Eduardo suffered his gruesome injury against Birmingham City, Modric phoned him so he could leave a message that Eduardo would get as soon as he was well enough to switch on his mobile.

“I saw him break his leg on TV, it was horrible. I was afraid for him, not just for his career but for his health. He’s a big friend,” says Modric. “We spent a lot of time together in Zagreb. I tried to call him straight away but it was impossible. I talked to him after his operation and he was optimistic.” Other mates in the national team include Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka, who translated cheerfully for Modric when English journalists visited Croatia’s pretournament training camp in Dalmatia. The impression given was of how special teammates regard Modric, whom Kranjcar terms “the new superstar of Croatian football” and Eduardo describes as “our grand master”.

Modric can be a little shy of the press but, once in full flow, was typically unabashed in his opinions. “Our thoughts are for the first game against Austria. Once we’ve won the first match, everything will be easier. Having said that, we will win against Germany. Anything is possible for us. We have the quality to do something big,” he said. Not that he is overconfident.

“It’s a hard group. Everybody says Germany and Croatia are favourites but it will be hard to go through to the next phase. Our task is to go as far as we can, but you never know. I am an optimist, but Poland will be hard to beat and you must not forget Austria. Every host is hard to beat.” Tottenham equalled the club record £16.5m they paid for Darren Bent to bring Modric to White Hart Lane and gave him a six-year contract. Barcelona, his favourite foreign club, had been interested in signing him and Roman Abramovich met one of Modric’s agents, Zdravko Mamic, to discuss a transfer.

Chelsea, however, baulked at Dinamo Zagreb’s asking price, leaving him to choose between Tottenham and Newcastle. Bilic feels his protégé is making the right move. “Tottenham is perfect for Luka, better than, for example, Chelsea, who could have bought him, Messi and Rob-inho and then Luka could have ended up on the bench,” says Bilic. Modric was impressed by the willingness of Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to travel to Zagreb for talks and says: “I always dreamt about Barcelona but I didn’t go to Spain. I have no regrets. I have chosen a very good club and I’m sure I’ll enjoy playing for Tottenham. The main reason I chose Spurs was Juande Ramos. I have a really high opinion of him and after the Euros we’ll sit down and talk plans for next season.” Michael Owen infamously and ludicrously suggested that none of Croatia’s players would get into the England team but the reason Tottenham were so keen is the same as one of the main factors behind the Croats’ presence in Austria and Switzerland in place of the Three Lions. Clever and confident on the ball, two-footed, able to shape games of an elevated nature, there just isn’t an English Luka Modric.

Croatia’s midfield spur

- Tottenham equalled their record transfer fee when they paid £16.5m to sign Croatia playmaker Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb. He can play on the left or in a central role behind the strikers and has already been voted player of the year in both the Bosnian and Croatian leagues

- He caught the eye in both Euro 2008 qualifying matches against England. At Wembley he seemed to touch the ball in every area of the fi eld, see diagram, as he helped Croatia top the group and eliminate England. He managed two shots, created two chances and completed 80% of his passes

TV match
Austria v Croatia
Today, BBC1, 4.40pm, kick-off 5pm