The Real Madrid midfield really has been a case of the Luka Modric show these last few years.

While Toni Kross and Casemiro have obviously been crucial cogs in that well-oiled machine, it is the Croatian puppet-master who has truly been the toast of the trio.

He was the first man to finally wrestle his way past the stranglehold that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi had over the Ballon d'Or and has continually shown himself to be one of the most consistent players on the planet.

The most recently concluded season was yet another example of just how exceptional Modric is as, despite his advancing age, he made Europe and Spain his playground all over again.

While his stats might not jump off the page - three goals and 12 assists - it was the timing of Modric's contributions that made them so special.

His magical outside-of-the-boot assist against Chelsea in the Champions League was a stroke of genius but it was against PSG that he proved he was cut from a different cloth.

With a spot in the last eight of Europe's premier club competition up for grabs, Modric took the tie by the scruff of the neck and dragged Madrid forward.

Luka Modric poses with Toni Kroos and Casemiro
PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 28: Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric of Real Madrid celebrate with the UEFA Champions League trophy after their sides victory during the UEFA Champions League final match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Stade de France on May 28, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 28: Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric of Real Madrid celebrate with the UEFA Champions League trophy after their sides victory during the UEFA Champions League final match between Liverpool FC and Real Madrid at Stade de France on May 28, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Picking the ball up on the edge of his own box, Modric clicked through the gears, showing a remarkable turn of speed to leave a glut of baffled PSG defenders in his wake before stroking a sweeping ball into the path of Vinicius Jr.

The Brazilian then stood the Parisian defence up for a few moments before returning the ball to Modric to once again steal the show.

In a clip that has been doing the rounds on social media, the full breakdown of what happens next proves just how much of a master magician Modric is.

You can see it below:

Brilliant - the man sent an entire defensive line on a fraught and merry adventure in completely the wrong direction.

Madrid would eventually book their spot in the final eight before scraping, by a miracle and a prayer, all the way into the final to face Liverpool.

Thibaut Courtois would put in the shift of his life between the sticks to deny the English side as the Madrid giants went on to clinch an unprecedented 14th European Cup.

That triumph saw Modric join a very exclusive club of players in the upper echelons of the sport's history as he was garlanded with his fifth winners' medal.