• Four Tottenham players in squad for Under-19 tournament
• Manager rejects claims that he refused to release them to FA

Harry Redknapp has rejected claims that Tottenham Hotspur have banned four of their teenagers from playing for England in an Under-19 tournament in France next week.

Spurs were understood to have queried the need for the Football Association to take Steven Caulker, Andros Townsend, Ryan Mason and Dean Parrett to the event but the manager said: “I had a word with the chairman and the kids were released. It’s a great honour to play for your country and we wouldn’t want to stop them from playing. It’s important, whatever age group, whatever level, it’s something you strive for.

“I have never stopped anyone from playing for their country wherever they are from. I always encourage that and this is no different. If they need the kids we will get it sorted out.”

The players were part of a squad that trained at University of Warwick and they are scheduled for departure to Normandy on 15 July. The tournament begins three days later and England’s group involves Austria, Holland and France with the top pair joining two from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Croatia in the semi-finals.

Sir Dave Richards, the chairman of Club England, wrote to all clubs last month pointing out that they wanted “to prioritise player release in the Under-19s outside the competitive part of the season”.

A fortnight ago, the FA’s director of football development, Sir Trevor Brooking, said that “tournament experience would be fantastic”, although he feared there were “three or four at clubs who want to take them on pre-season trips”.

Blackburn Rovers’ Phil Jones and Aston Villa’s Nathan Delfouneso are also wanted by the FA for the tournament. The pair would miss over two weeks of their club’s pre-season preparations if they travelled with England.

Tottenham HotspurEnglandguardian.co.uk

• Croatian not yet among highest earners at Spurs
• 24-year-old set to feature in friendly against Estonia

Tottenham Hotspur plan to reward Luka Modric for his fine form in the club’s best Premier League season with an improved contract, in a move that could ward off interest from Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Croatia midfielder arrived from Dynamo Zagreb in the summer of 2008 on a five-year deal and, although the transfer fee was £16.6m, his weekly wage did not put him in Tottenham’s top bracket of earners.

Modric, though, has been described by his manager Harry Redknapp as the squad’s one world-class talent and, in line with club policy of performance-related pay rises, the 24-year-old can look forward to a better contract in time for next season.

Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, will schedule talks with Modric and his representative as soon as the player returns from a two-week holiday, which he will begin after Croatia’s friendly against Estonia on Wednesday. Before that, Croatia face Wales on Sunday, although Modric is a doubt with a sore ankle.

Modric is on a high both on and off the pitch. He was instrumental in Tottenham finishing in fourth place and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time and then, 10 days ago, with the euphoria still fresh, he married his girlfriend Vanja. The couple are expecting their first child.

Modric is happy at Tottenham and with life in London, and he cannot wait to attack the Champions League with them next time out. His silky touch and vision have brought him to the attention of Chelsea and United but he wants to stay put at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham HotspurPremier LeagueDavid Hytnerguardian.co.uk