Juan Román Riquelme
Modrić is widely regarded as one of most well-rounded and effective midfielders in the world. According to Jonathan Wilson, what sets apart Modrić from old-school playmakers (number ten) like Juan Román Riquelme is the universality due to increased defensive responsibility, a quality which was insisted by Valeriy Lobanovskyi and Arrigo Sacchi that should make a modern footballer.