Modric: I told my old friend Bale that he should come join Ronaldo and me at Real

Despite defeat for Wales, Bale shone once again (Getty Images)

Luka Modric has urged Gareth Bale to join him at Real Madrid after boldly presenting the Tottenham Hotspur star with a shirt of the Spanish champions after Croatia beat Wales on Tuesday.

Bale has been strongly linked with a move to the Bernabeu and former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has claimed he could walk into any team in the world. Modric, Croatia's playmaker and the Welshman's former club mate, said: "Harry is right – it would be amazing for Gareth to come and play for Real Madrid.

"He is certainly good enough to play at the highest level. I hope he will come to us. It was nice to see my old friend Gareth and play against him. We had a good chat after the game."

Modric already plays in the same team as Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo following his £33m transfer to Real in August. Yet the 27-year-old reckons the prospect of seeing Bale double up with Ronaldo on the flanks would improve Jose Mourinho's star-studded line-up.

Modric added: "It could make Gareth an even better player. For me, they are the best two wingers in the world."

Bale shone once again in Wales' third defeat in four qualification games in Osijek but the 2-0 defeat effectively ended their 2014 World Cup qualifying hopes. Chris Coleman's side are already seven points adrift of group leaders Belgium and Croatia, and Bale said: "It's difficult to see [Wales qualifying] this time but the one thing we have to do is just to keep plodding away."