Ally McCoist has claimed Rangers once considered a swoop for Champions League winner Luka Modric - but were priced out of a move.

McCoist was tasked with scouting former defender Vedran Corluka when he played for Dinamo Zagreb.

But it was midfield maestro Modric the ex-Gers assistant manager came away raving about from his trip to Croatia.

After telling then-Rangers manager Walter Smith to make an enquiry about Modric, Coisty was left disappointed to find that the asking price was too high.

Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist recalled: "[Dinamo] Zagreb were playing Hajduk Split and Walter sent me over to watch the game, looking at the big boy Corluka.

"I went over watching the game, Corluka was fine.

"I came back and Walter said 'how did it go?', I went 'Yeah, good team. Corluka is a good player, you'd take him all day.

"I said 'I'll tell you right now, I don't know how much money we've got in that bank account but there's a wee fella playing in the middle of the park, Modric'.

"I said 'go and see, have a snip. If you can get him, gaffer, he is unbelievable'.

"Walter picked up the phone and put it back down, said 'forget it'.

Ally McCoist never once fell out of love with Rangers even in the darkest times

"It was just too much for us, I can't remember the exact figure.

"I went to the game and he just looked lightyears ahead of anything on that football pitch."

Modric has gone on to have a stellar career having played for Tottenham and Real Madrid since leaving Dinamo.

He has won La Liga, four Champions League trophies and was runner-up in last year's World Cup final.