Milner rejects Croat kicking allegations

England winger James Milner has ruled out conspiracy theories that Croatia midfielder Luka Modric was deliberately injured ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifier at Wembley next week.

Croatia FA chiefs are frustrated that key midfielder Modric broke a leg in a tackle with Birmingham’s Lee Bowyer just 10 days before a match against England that could decide the World Cup fate of both teams.

They already have bitter memories of how key striker Eduardo also suffered a broken leg playing against the same opposition for Arsenal in February 2008 and Croatia FA supremo Vlatko Markovic on Tuesday said: “First Eduardo, now Luka Modric. This is horrible. I can only ask myself if it was really an accident.

“I’m close to thinking it was done to us deliberately before the England match. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw what happened to Luka. He is irreplaceable.”

But Markovic’s claims have been quickly dismissed in Fabio Capello’s camp with Aston Villa star Milner, speaking at England’s team hotel in Watford, saying: “It’s just bad luck, that’s the way it is in football.

“People are making more of it but obviously it’s nonsense. We just go out there and try and play as well as we can. You don’t look at who you are tackling or anything like that when you are on the field.

“You don’t think ‘oh it’s him, I’ll go in hard on him.’ You just are just trying to win the ball.”

Far from being frightened of Modric, Milner would have relished facing the playmaker on September 9.

He added: “You’ve seen what a good player Modric has been since he’s been in England, he makes Tottenham tick and it’s the same at international level. He will be a big miss.

“But as players you want to play in the best competitions in the world against the best players.

“In a way it helps you if the best players aren?t there but also you want to challenge them. That?s what being a professional in any sport is all about.”

Milner, 23, is hoping to make a big impact against Croatia and also against Slovenia in a friendly at Wembley on Saturday, having finally made his debut in the recent draw in Holland after winning a record 46 caps at Under 21 level.

He showed great potential as a youngster, becoming the Premier League?s youngest ever goalscorer at the age 16 years and 309 days – just three months after Wayne Rooney had set the previous record.

But his progress has always been slower in comparison to the Manchester United striker.

He said: “That goal put me on the map but Wayne came through at a very similar time and progressed very quickly at a very similar age. In a way, he took a lot of limelight off me, which helped massively. If that had not happened, I would probably have had more attention than I had.

“I am very grateful to him! When you look at how well he dealt with it, it just shows what a strong character he is and what a fantastic player. But now I feel ready for it to be my turn.”

Milner has certainly waited a long time for his international breakthrough and perhaps it should come as no surprise that it happened after he moved to Aston Villa and left behind the trauma of crisis clubs Newcastle and Leeds.

The winger, who has astonishingly played under 12 different managers already in his career, said: “Hopefully this could be the first season in my whole career when I start and finish with the same manager. Believe it not that?s never happened before.

“I am not making excuses but that hasn’t helped. As a young player coming through, you need that stability.

“Now I am lucky enough to be at a club with some good, young English talent and some great experienced players as well. I am working for a great manager with a great track record in Martin O?Neill.”