AC Milan star shocked by one thing 40-year-old Luka Modric did in win over Napoli

Adrien Rabiot has hailed Luka Modric’s remarkable influence at AC Milan, admitting he is stunned by the 40-year-old’s ability to cover every blade of grass for 90 minutes.

The Rossoneri struck early in their clash with Napoli, going ahead after just three minutes when Christian Pulisic surged from his own half to set up Alexis Saelemaekers.

The USMNT star then doubled the lead before half-time. Napoli’s task became even harder when Pervis Estupiñán was shown a red card for pulling back Giovanni Di Lorenzo, with Kevin De Bruyne converting the resulting penalty.

David Neres nearly rescued a point late on, but his stoppage-time strike rattled the woodwork.

Rabiot, who joined Milan from Marseille on transfer deadline day, has already played a key role in the club’s resurgence.

“It’s true that I already knew the coach and his staff, their working methods, so it was easier for me to settle in,” Rabiot told DAZN Italia.

“I arrived with humility, working every day to set the example and inspire this team. Since I’ve been here, we’ve won four games, conceding only one goal. There is a strong team spirit, and we play with a positive mindset. It was tough today, but with our mentality, we took the result home. I’m happy,” he added.

The Frenchman also praised his midfield partner Modric, who continues to defy age in his first Serie A campaign.

“Playing with Luka is easy, because he knows how to control the tempo,” Rabiot said.

He added, “Although I frankly don’t know how he can run like that for 90 minutes at age 40. He loves football, loves to defend, and attack everything. This team has a lot of quality, and we all enjoy defending too. Even down to 10 men, we showed what we’re capable of.”

Rabiot now prepares for an emotional return to Turin, as Milan face Juventus at the Allianz Stadium next week.