Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has named his football idol

Mateo Kovacic, a Chelsea midfielder, has chosen Real Madrid’s Luka Modric as his football idol.

Kovacic, a former Real Madrid teammate of Modric’s, described the 37-year-old as a leader.

Kovacic thanked Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo for their assistance on and off the field during his time with Real Madrid.

“I was only 21 years old, and there were some big players but, in the beginning, I was a little bit nervous,” the Croatian star told GOAL.

“I learned a lot and there [Real Madrid] are a lot of great characters. Of course, with my relationship with Luka [Modric], he was one of the leaders there and then you had upfront Ronaldo. He was a leader on and off the pitch.

“My relationship with all the players is amazing, especially with Luka [Modric]. He was my idol when I was a child and then when I came to Madrid, we obviously connected more and now we share this friendship. It is amazing to have such a big player and a big person as a friend. He has a big influence [on me].”