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He’s small, He’s nice, He managed to stop Leo Messi... rang the streets of Paris as the French players paraded the World Cup trophy in the capital two days after their triumph over Croatia in the Finals. The chant was in the honor of one man, who stood grinning modestly: N’Golo Kante. There’s a popular saying that goes around in football: ‘70% of the world is covered in water. The rest, by N’Golo Kante’. And rightly so.
The French midfielder’s incessant drive to win the ball back for his team has left fans, players and managers in awe of his abilities. Humility, determination, and work-ethic personified, Kante isn’t your typical footballer. Standing only at five feet and six inches tall, he doesn’t boast the physique and stature of other footballers. And yet audiences are left spellbound by this tiny work- engine; For one, Kante’s role is not determined by the moments he has on the ball but rather off it.
He breaks up play and initiates it naturally. To the casual observer, Kante is just another player. Observed more closely, the numbers speak for themselves. Making an average of 3.91 tackles and 3.04 interceptions per Premier League game is astounding. To add to that, he runs industriously, making it seem like he’s everywhere. There are few who can match him his defensive contribution. Following his stellar performances, Gary Lineker aptly tweeted, “If planet Earth was ever under threat from an asteroid, I’m pretty sure that Kanté would intercept it”.
Kante is a serial winner too. Two Premier League medals, an FA Cup, and the Holy Grail, The World Cup itself, within three years is a testimony to the fact. Personal accolades like The PFA Players’ Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year are merely icing on the cake. At just 27 years of age, he is already one of the best midfielders in the world.
He can still develop further, making it an even more daunting prospect to stop him. However, it hasn’t always been easy for the ‘Octopus’. Paving his way through various lower leagues in France, He caught the eye of Leicester City’s Steve Walsh, known for unearthing Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez from football’s lower rungs.
He struggled to persuade Claudio Ranieri at the beginning, who was concerned about his size. When he was given the chance, he hit the ground running. He hasn’t stopped ‘running’ ever since. His displays have been so impressive that his position was dubbed the ‘Kante role”, indicating the dynamic and untiring impact he makes on the game.
Kante’s shyness and humility is a key component of his character. He is a quiet, docile figure off the pitch, letting his football do the talking. Described as a ‘Team player’, a ‘nice guy’ and a ‘manager’s dream’, he is loved by fans and teammates alike. There were reports of his teammate N’Zonzi having to ask the French players to let Kante touch the World Cup trophy since he was too shy to request for it for himself as he didn’t want to ‘impose himself’ on anyone.
Elegant, calm and graceful, N’Golo Kante is a delightful footballer and human being. Ever-smiling and incredibly positive, his story is an inspiration to all. Universally liked, Kante is one of football’s nicest guys;
But he may be too shy to admit it.
