Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has been labelled as a future Croatia captain by Luka Modric, as the Blues prepare for their Club World Cup final.
Romelu Lukaku's first-half tap-in was enough to give Thomas Tuchel's side a 1-0 win against Al Hilal in the semi-final, and they will now be eyeing another trophy.
Chelsea have never won the Club World Cup, losing in the final in their only previous appearance ten years ago, and Palmeiras are the only side stood in their way now.
Kovacic was named man of the match during the semi-final clash in the United Arab Emirates and will no doubt be one of the first names on the team sheet for the final.
The 27-year-old has been one of Chelsea's standout stars this season and has become a huge favourite of Tuchel's in the process.
"You can call him at 3am and call him for tactical training, defensive training, set-piece training and he will be there with a smile for what is needed," Tuchel said of Kovacic back in October 2021.
"He is such a fantastic guy. A fantastic team player.
"I was a huge fan of him when he played for Real Madrid. I told him straight away I remember El Clasico matches I watched with him and I could feel such a big potential when I met him and found this friendly, humble guy with such a big heart for football and passion for training. It is a pure joy to be his coach."
His brilliance has been emphasised again by international teammate Modric.
The Real Madrid legend has played with Kovacic for both Croatia and Los Blancos and has picked him out as an important player and one who could inherit the national team's armband.
"My successor in Croatia or the most talented player, I think, is Mateo Kovacic," Modric said in an interview with Marca.
"He is already a made player. He has played for important clubs like Inter Milan, Real Madrid, now he is at Chelsea doing things very well and that's why let's say that he is one of the successors, he can be the leader of the next Croatia."
It is an opinion that will only emphasise further how important Kovacic has become for the Blues as well. This season has seen him score two goals and assist five more in the Premier League.
With question marks over N'Golo Kante and Jorginho's long-term futures, it surely makes the Croatian midfielder almost undroppable in Tuchel's team.
