Jermain Defoe names the ‘special’ former Tottenham midfielder whose passing used to amaze him

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Jermain Defoe has now been discussing a former Tottenham Hotspur teammate who used to amaze him in his playing days.

Defoe saw a lot of excellent midfielders during his time at Hotspur Way, but it seems one really stood out.

Of course, Ange Postecoglou’s current Spurs side were actually put to the sword by a midfielder they’re supposedly interested in signing on Saturday. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes was in brilliant form alongside Mario Lemina, a duo paying tribute to Gary O’Neil’s ability as a manager.

And whilst Tottenham’s trusted pairing of Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma are no slouches either, perhaps Postecoglou was looking on with some envy.

That being said, it was arguably one of the best midfielders of this generation that Defoe was praising, Real Madrid’s Luka Modric.

Now 38-years-old, Defoe thought it was obvious that his Tottenham teammate would go on to win the Ballon d’Or one day.

And when recalling Modric’s talent, the former Spurs striker recalled just how good the Croatian was on the ball.

Jermain Defoe says former Tottenham teammate Luka Modric was magic

Defoe was speaking on the ‘Defoe & Deeney Football Firsts’ podcast and was amazed that Modric ended up peaking in his thirties.

He said: “Special player man. You know what was interesting, he was at the peak of his powers in his mid-30s.

“See when I played with Luka at Tottenham, even then you look on and think, you could go on and win the Ballon d’Or.

“You know when you see players and they’re just so silky if that makes sense? It was effortless, he could just handle the ball anywhere on the pitch and the pressure.

“It always felt like he had time, that stepover, he always used to use the outside of his right foot. When you saw Luka pass it, he always used the outside of his right foot.”

Of course, it does seem as if Modric’s future at Real Madrid is currently up in the air, with some uncertainty over his contract.

And whilst a Tottenham return doesn’t seem likely in any case, Jermain Defoe would probably be delighted to see his former teammate back for one more season.

But given how forward-thinking Ange Postecoglou’s project now is, it doesn’t seem as if any short term thinking would be beneficial.

That being said, Spurs are said to be very keen on the signing of a 21-year-old this summer, and are willing to compete with Real Madrid.