Croatia playmaker Luka Modric can help fire Tottenham up the Barclays Premier League table next season, according to compatriot Vedran Corluka.

Spurs recovered from a disastrous opening few months to finish the last campaign strongly under Harry Redknapp, reaching the Carling Cup final at Wembley and eventually securing eighth place.

Redknapp is determined his men will step it up a level in the new campaign, which will this time not involve any European football.

And Corluka feels Modric, 24, can play a central role in driving Spurs on.

"It was difficult at the start because it was his first time playing in England and nobody in the team was playing well at that point," defender Corluka told the club's official website. "When the team started to play well he showed why he is one of the best young midfielders in the world.

"Hopefully he will be even better next season because he knows how other teams play against us and the surroundings, so it will be a lot easier."