article: Media playback is not supported on this device Not Ronaldo, Messi, Bale or Neymar but Luka Modric. Pose the same question 12 months previously and Modric would not even be in with a whisper. "Gareth is a a great player. He has everything necessary to be one of the best players in the world. It's all on him if he will reach that level. Today, Ronaldo is the best player. It's really difficult to reach his level, but Gareth has all the qualities. He is strong, powerful, quick and he has improved his shooting a lot." Recruited by Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur for £33m in August 2012, the Croatia midfielder was in danger of being harshly written off as a high-profile, big-money flop. Appearances were irregular under Jose Mourinho and some Real fans wanted him sold, with readers of the newspaper Marca voting Modric the worst signing of the year. Fast forward to the present day and he is indispensable to Carlo Ancelotti, the hard-to-please Bernabeu crowd are chanting his name - they want Modric to wear the prestigious number 10 shirt instead of 19 - and the queue of suitors is growing. They could be waiting a long time. Many, including former Real sporting director Predrag Mijatovic, believe the 28-year-old is now on a par with Cristiano Ronaldo as the club's most important player. "I never considered leaving Real Madrid or that it was a mistake to come here," Modric, with a look of unbreakable self-belief, tells BBC Sport. "It was my dream come true when I signed for Real Madrid. I want to stay here for as many years as possible and, if it's possible, finish my career here. "I really enjoy my life in Spain. Madrid is a big and beautiful city with great parks where I like to walk. There are a lot of squares and museums, historic monuments. But I'm more a home guy, I feel most comfortable there with my wife and kids. We play, watch cartoons, like all families do." Modric has never been one to court publicity - "I don't like to speak much, I rather speak on the field; apart from Real Madrid TV this is my first big interview" - but when we meet at the club's Valdebebas training complex he could hardly be more relaxed and welcoming. "It's good for the championship that more teams are involved for the title. Atletico Madrid are having a great season. Everyone is expecting them to fall down but they keep going. There are still a lot of games until the end and we have to continue playing like we're playing at the moment. It will be interesting. I think this March will be crucial for La Liga. It's always nice to have more teams fighting for titles." His ripped jeans, shaggy hair and cheeky smile reflect a laid-back, unpretentious, likeable character who is quiet yet bubbly, private yet warm; a gentle Galactico with a kind, conscientious, intelligent personality that endears him to family, friends and the public alike. But underneath lies an unmistakeable
summary: If you were to survey followers of Spanish football on their player of the season so far, there is a good chance they would vote overwhelmingly in favour of one name.