Luka Modric isn't finished yet! Croatia's talisman is still capable of damaging England's World Cup dreams at 40

We thought we'd seen the last of Modric in the international arena after Croatia's devastating Euro 2024 group-stage exit at the hands of a desperately poor Italian team.

Modric had put his team a goal to the good in what was essentially a last-16 play-off at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, after slotting home the rebound from his own missed penalty. However, by the time he went to pose for the obligatory photo that comes with winning the Player of the Match award, Modric bore a haunted look on his face, as a 98th-minute winner from Mattia Zaccagni had simultaneously sent Italy through to the knockout stage and Croatia out of the tournament.

It was hardly the happy ending to an illustrious international career that Modric envisaged - and it was testament to his popularity that nobody else wanted it to finish that way either.

In Modric's post-match press conference, Italian journalist Francesco Repice pretty much spoke for everyone else in attendance, and true football fans watching around the world, when he thanked the midfielder for "everything you have shown, not just tonight but in your career" and implored him to "never retire"!

The then-38-year-old replied, "I'd like to keep playing forever, but there probably will come a time where I’ll have to hang up my boots. I'll keep playing on for now, but I'm not sure for how much longer."

Rather remarkably, Modric still isn't sure when he'll hang up those boots - as he's even more remarkably still performing at an incredibly high level.

When Modric moved to AC Milan last summer, after 13 trophy-laden seasons at Real Madrid, he insisted that joining the Serie A side he supported as a boy (mainly due to compatriot Zvonimir Boban) wasn't merely about realising a childhood dream. He genuinely felt he could play a key role in reviving the Rossoneri - and he was right.

While the arrival of one of the great midfielders of the modern era generated plenty of headlines in Italy, plenty of pundits wondered how much he had left in the tank. It was also argued that Milan didn't really need Modric, given they'd also just signed Samuele Ricci.

However, not even the 24-year-old Italian had any issue with the fact that Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri repeatedly started Modric ahead of him. "He's the strongest player I've ever played with," said Ricci, who was astounded by the Croat's humility and intensity.

The Italian press were just as amazed by Modric's enduring excellence. "If he really is 40," journalist Alberto Polverosi said, "let’s clone him!"

Modric's dynamic displays appeared to defy all scientific explanation, but Milan legend Kaka explained that his former Madrid team-mate was simply a 40-year-old "force of nature".

"I know what his mentality is like," the Brazilian told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "It’s human to lose a bit of motivation when you’ve already had it all - but Lukita is crazy. He still wants to pass on his knowledge, he calls his team-mates, he’s always ready to fight. He has energy and personality.

"His contribution to Milan is important in games and in training, and I believe that his being there is good for all of Italian football. It's great to see what he’s doing in terms of his enthusiasm, leadership and, of course, his technique."

Allegri was unsurprisingly enamoured with Modric, and the pair formed such a strong bond that there was even talk of the Croat being his assistant coach next season.

There was just one problem, though: Milan became too dependent on Modric, so when the veteran got injured at the tail end of the season, Allegri's side capitulated.

Due to a fractured cheekbone sustained in a 0-0 draw with Juventus on April 26, Modric was unable to start any of Milan's final four games - and they lost three of them, which resulted in the Rossoneri dropping from third to fifth, thus missing out on Champions League football.

Whether Modric continues at Milan for another season is now unclear, particularly as Allegri has since been sacked for failing to secure a top-four finish. Modric has been effusive in his praise of the club and the city, but it has been reported that Madrid are keen to bring him back to the Bernabeu in some capacity should he decide to finally hang up his boots this summer.

For now, Modric is remaining coy on his future, but it's taken as a given at this stage that this will be his last major tournament with Croatia, so it's hardly ideal that he's going to have to play with a protective mask at the World Cup - which could be particularly uncomfortable in what are likely to be testing conditions.

However, Modric has made a career out of proving people wrong. As he recently said, "I never really cared what anyone else said, it only further motivated me."

So, who would dare write off a masked Modric at 40 years of age? Not the English media, that's for sure. They've been burned before.