Denmark Manager Age Hareide Claims Christian Eriksen Is Better Than Superstar Luka Modric

Denmark manager Age Hareide has expressed his belief that Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric is "not as good as Christian Eriksen".

The latter has excelled for Spurs this season and scored a superb hat-trick in Denmark's FIFA World Cup qualifying play off victory over the Republic of Ireland in November.

And, ahead of this summer's tournament in Russia, Eriksen has earned effusive praise from his national team coach.

"I think he is a type that can adapt to anything. Give him a ball, then the ball will speak for him wherever he is. Christian is a type that just gets better from dealing with better football players," Hareide said - quoted Tipsbladet.

"When looking at the players that play centrally for Real Madrid and Barcelona, none of them are better than Christian.

"Luka Modric came from Tottenham to Real Madrid, and he was not as good as Christian.

"He's ready to take another step, but he's also had a fantastic development under [Mauricio] Pochettino at Tottenham."

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Eriksen's form in recent years has inevitably seen him linked with both Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Asked about the speculation by Danish newspaper BT, he said: "To be honest, I don't think like that. 

You play football in the present, but you have your dreams as well. Dreaming is one thing, but you don't know what's realistic until you see it on the table.

Right now I think most players are very satisfied being at Tottenham, and so am I."