Watford Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes Claims Former Teammate Luka Modric Told Him to Quit Spurs

Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has claimed his old teammate at Tottenham Luka Modric encouraged him to quit the club after falling out of favour.

The Brazilian joined Spurs from PSV Eindohoven in 2008 for £7.8m at the same time as Modric, who arrived in north London from Dinamo Zagreb.

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Gomes spent three seasons as the number one at White Hart Lane under Juande Ramos, but fell down in the pecking order behind Carlo Cudicini and Brad Friedel when Harry Redknapp arrived on the scene in the 2011/12 season.

Gomes was played in League Cup and UEFA Cup matches only, and Croatia international Modric supposedly suggested he should have quit to find first team football.

Gomes told The Offside Rule: "It was a very tough time for me. It was the first time that I had ever been in that situation but I can say I learned a lot.

"Luka Modric said to me ‘what are you still doing here? You can’t be here for so long you are a great keeper'. But I told him my time will come I don’t have to worry, I just have to work and work more."

Things did not get much better for Gomes at Spurs after that season - he was loaned out to Hoffenheim for the 2012/13 campaign, before returning to the club in 2013/14 under Andre Villas-Boas who, like Redknapp, didn't fancy him.

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(You may also be interested inWatford Fan Favourite Heurelho Gomes Names Idol Growing Up & Best PL Away Ground).

He's certainly established himself as an able Premier League goalkeeper since joining Watford though, and the 37-year-old is still going strong at Vicarage Road, although is out of the team behind Orestis Karnezis.