I'm much better than Modric, insists Spurs defender Corluka

Corluka, an £8.5million deadline day capture from Manchester City, makes his Spurs debut at home to Aston Villa tonight along with Russia striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Right back Corluka is confident Modric will come good after a slow start to life in the Premier League but admits there is one area he will need to improve - video games.

Having a ball: Modric (right) and Corluka

The two room together having been team-mates since the age of 14 at Dinamo Zagreb - but Corluka is the dab hand with the Playstation handset.

'I always win, I cannot lie,' Corluka smiled. 'Luka's a good lad. Two days after we first met, we went for drinks and you could see that he was a good person.

'Now we room together when we are with the national team, so we are still friends.

'He is obviously a very good player as well. When he was 14 you could see in his movement, and when he had possession of the ball. He is a complete person.'

Modric is still adapting to the pace and physicality of English football after completing a £15million move to Spurs after Euro 2008.

But Modric was schooled in the hard-knocks football of the Bosnian league for a
season before establishing himself alongside Corluka in the Dinamo Zagreb first
team.

And Corluka knows that experience at Zrinjski Mostar, where Modric shone to be
voted the Bosnian league's player of the year, will stand his best mate in good
stead.

'Luka is surprised at how everything is quick, fast and strong in this league,' said Corluka.

'He told me that in two or three more games he will be at his best. It has been a new experience for him so it is not easy but it will not be long before he is at his best.

'Playing in Bosnia helped him. That league is full of very hard and strong players - big lads who don't care about you or your health!

'He wasn't like them but it made him develop his power and strength so that will help him in this league. This is a better competition but he can cope.'