ZAGREB – Standing heel raises, push-up pyramids, treadmill sprints and elastic band stretches. These exercises are simple to execute and can be incorporated into most workout routines.

But, for Luka Modric, it is a daily endeavour. Every morning, the Croatia captain receives tailored instructions for these exercises via a text message from personal fitness coach Vlatko Vucetic.

Without fail, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner spends about 45 minutes every day completing Vucetic’s exercise regimen. He has been doing so for the past decade, even on vacations or rest days.

This work ethic has ensured that he is still playing at the highest level with Real Madrid at the age of 38.

Just last week, Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said Modric is in “great shape” and could “obviously” play against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-finals on April 30.

Modric, who is into his 12th season with Real, has won the Champions League five times with Real and is closing in on his fourth La Liga title.

In a professional career spanning two decades, he has made over 600 club appearances and turned out more than 170 times for the Croatia national team. He captained his country to a silver medal at the 2018 World Cup and a third-placed finish at the 2022 edition.

Vucetic, 50, a professor at the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Kinesiology, believes Modric’s disciplined routine is the key to his longevity.

He said: “I’ve been working with Modric every day for the last 10 years. He’s special because he’s hungry for success and working on his preparation every day. It’s hard to do it for so many years.”

The duo met when the national team visited the University of Zagreb for a fitness screening before the 2014 World Cup. Then 28, Modric decided to get Vucetic’s help to prevent injuries and prolong his career.

A focus on exercises involving elastic bands is the secret, said Vucetic.

“For me, elastic bands are the best way to preserve muscles and avoid injury… not just with weights and kettlebells. Your muscles contract quickly and every cell is prepared to react,” he said.

“When you are 35 (and above), your body and muscles get older. Modric’s mentality is that he has to work harder than the year before to maintain the same level of performance.”

Besides keeping himself in optimal physical condition, Modric also has a tough mentality, shaped by his growing up years during the Croatian War of Independence.

When he was six, Serbian militia attacked his home and killed his grandfather. Forced to flee for survival, Modric and his family became war refugees in the southern city of Zadar.

He was put up in Hotel Kolovare, an improvised war shelter, where he played football in empty parking lots with grenades exploding nearby on many occasions.

Modric told The Guardian in a 2020 interview: “These things can make you tougher or can break you. I choose the other way; I choose to become tougher, to create my character.”

His playing career was fraught with challenges. Starting from NK Zadar’s youth academy, Modric moved to Dinamo Zagreb where he encountered then academy director Romeo Jozak.

Initially, the 1.72m-tall Modric had to battle against taller and stronger players.

Jozak, 50, said: “He was a young, short and skinny guy. But unbelievable passion, unbelievable drive. Even when the situation got tough on the field with people pushing on his back, he never lost the ball under pressure... He was a soldier and had a mental toughness to him.”

Modric made his first-team debut with Dinamo in 2005 and netted 26 goals in 94 appearances over three seasons, before earning a €21 million (S$30.6 million) move to English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur.

Modric also has an unrelenting desire for excellence, said Tomislav Pacak, head of communications for the Croatian Football Federation.

He recalled that, at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the national team often had to take red-eye flights after their matches. While his teammates would be catching up on sleep or texting their families, Modric would be on his laptop, watching a rerun of the game he just played to identify areas for improvement.

Pacak added: “He’s the only player I know that always does this, whether it’s the World Cup or a friendly against Cyprus or Malta. If he sees that his teammate could have done better, he invites them over to look at the situation.”

While Modric is in the twilight of his career, and his Real contract expires in the summer, The Athletic reported that he has turned down an offer to join Ancelotti’s coaching staff.

Vucetic believes Modric can continue playing at the highest level, with the European Championship coming up in June.

“I think he has one or two more years at this level,” said Vucetic.