Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric is excited by the prospect of opening the Premiership season with Manchester City.

Spurs memorably came out on top of that duel with a 1-0 win at Eastlands on May 5 - the win that guaranteed fourth and a place in the Champions League come August.

The fact that the match is so fresh in the memory adds a little more spice to the occasion - a fact not lost on Modric.

"First of all, it's good to play such a strong team," the Croatian maestro told his club's website.

"We've always done well in the big games, especially at home, and City is certainly one of those games.

"It will be great if we can go out and win it and that will give us such confidence for the next games, just like we did against Liverpool at the start of last season. We started so well after that.

"It will be an interesting game, especially as we played them in the most important game of last season right at the end of the season. It will be interesting to play them again so soon after that.

"I'm sure they will bring more players in and it will show us how we've worked in pre-season and where we are.

"It's also great to be at home. We love to play at White Hart Lane."