Luka Modric has spoken about his former Real Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham, saying he recognised something unusual in the England midfielder from the outset.
Modric, who now plays for Milan, spent two seasons alongside Bellingham at the Spanish club. The pair were team-mates after Bellingham joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023.
Reflecting on the midfielder’s arrival, Modric said: “I immediately saw something special in Bellingham.”
Bellingham’s move to the “royal” club marked the start of the two players’ time together in Madrid. Modric was already an established member of the squad when the England international arrived from Borussia Dortmund, creating a partnership between an experienced veteran and a younger player beginning his career at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Their shared spell at Real Madrid lasted two seasons. After that period, the club decided not to renew Modric’s contract, bringing his time with the Spanish side to an end.
Modric has since continued his career with Milan, while Bellingham remains the former Real Madrid player’s ex-team-mate. The Croatian’s comments focus on the impression Bellingham made when they first worked together, rather than on any additional details about the England midfielder’s career.
The two players therefore represent different stages of a footballer’s career within the same Real Madrid dressing room. Modric was the veteran whose contract was not extended after the pair had spent two seasons together, while Bellingham had only arrived at the club in the summer of 2023 from Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham’s move from Germany to Spain placed him at the centre of the story surrounding their time together. Modric’s assessment is that the midfielder’s distinctive qualities were visible immediately, from the beginning of their relationship as club colleagues.
The comments come after the end of Modric’s Real Madrid career and during his time with Milan. They provide the Croatian’s view of Bellingham as a former team-mate, with the key message being that the midfielder stood out to him as soon as they shared the same squad.
Their two seasons together ended when Real Madrid chose not to renew the veteran’s contract. Bellingham’s arrival, meanwhile, came in the summer of 2023, when he transferred to the Madrid club from Borussia Dortmund.