MADRID, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid's Croatian international midfielder Luka Modric has become the latest player to praise the work Zinedine Zidane has done since replacing Rafael Benitez at the start of the year.
Real Madrid have won 3 and drawn 1 of their four games since Zidane took over, scoring 16 goals in their last three home games against Deportivo la Coruna, Sporting Gijon and Espanyol with a more open attacking style of play in which Modric has stood out.
"Zidane was my idol, one of those players I admired since I was a boy," said Modric in an interview with fifa.com.
"I think everyone admired him, he was one of the best players of his generation," he added, commenting that every piece of advice he took from the Frenchman was "a treasure which helps you improve on the pitch."
Modric also had words for Cristiano Ronaldo, who he described as "the best player on the planet."
"It is incredible to be able to share a dressing room with him. You can learn a lot from him and his desire and also the way he makes such an effort to work hard every day. It's incredible," said the midfielder.
Modric also discussed Croatia's chances in the 2016 European Championships. "There are a lot of factors which can be decisive and you also need to have a bit of luck on your side to win. I hope that is the case, because we have the conditions we need to win," he commented.