Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has said that coming up against former Spurs man Luka Modric was "special" after his side's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Winks played in Spurs' academy during Modric's time at White Hart Lane before the Croat moved to the Bernabeu in 2012.
Madrid defender Raphael Varane gave Spurs the lead with an own goal before Cristiano Ronaldo equalised for the hosts from the penalty spot just before half time.
"Modric was always someone I looked up to when I was coming through the academy as a young player," Winks told the Evening Standard.
"He is someone I would go to White Hart Lane to watch and I still admire him to this day. To play against him was special.
"He and [Toni] Kroos are fantastic players, so when you go on the pitch with them it is easy to get a little bit daunted. But I tried to take all that away from it, treat it as any normal game and approach them as I would any normal player. You realise just how good they are when you play against them."
Spurs host Liverpool at Wembley in a crunch Premier League clash on Sunday before meeting London rivals West Ham United in the EFL Cup.
Jonny Whitfield
