Luka Modric to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season

Luka Modric has confirmed he'll be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season.

The Croatian says his final La Liga game will be this weekend before his swansong at the Club World Cup.

Writing an open letter to the Real Madrid fans, Modric said: "Dear Madrid fans,

"The time has come. The moment I never wanted to come, but that's football, and in life everything has a beginning and an end... On Saturday I will play my last match at the Santiago Bernabéu.

"I arrived in 2012 with the desire to wear the shirt of the best team in the world and with the ambition to do big things, but I couldn't imagine what came next.

"Playing at Real Madrid changed my life as a footballer and as a person.

"I feel proud to have been part of one of the most successful eras of the best club in history... I am leaving with a full heart. Filled with pride, gratitude and unforgettable memories.

"And even though, after the Club World Cup, I'm no longer going to wear this shirt on the field, I'll always be a Madrid fan."

Of the teams that won the 2016, 2017 and 2018 UEFA Champions League finals, Modric was the last man standing following the news that Lucas Vazquez would depart in the summer, but the Croatian's exit officially brings an end to an unforgettable era.

Modric arrived after four excellent seasons with Tottenham Hotspur, immediately becoming a part of the Real Madrid furniture.

It takes a certain kind of character to survive in the Real Madrid pressure cooker, and an even more special temperament to be able to thrive and Modric certainly managed it, spending 13 seasons at the club, playing until what will be just shy of his 40th birthday.

Modric has donned the famous white shirt nearly 600 times and but for the occasional injury issues it would have been even more. Nevertheless, it's enough to see him rank ninth in the club's list of all-time appearance makers, and will see him depart a legend.

Liam Williams

• Real Madrid CF
• European Football
• La Liga
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