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N’Golo Kante is the complete midfielder and his credentials and medals show how hungry he is to win, But what makes Kante such a good midfielder? Find out.
No matter the team, Kante has made a difference. With big fixtures early in the league, he is a critical member of the Chelsea team this season, looking to win the premier league and retain the Champions League trophy for another year. Here is why N’Golo Kante is so influential!
Early career
Born in Paris, France, on March 29, 1992, Kante is the son of Malian parents. JS Suresnes, a club based in the capital’s Western suburbs, introduced him to football at eight. JS Suresnes trained him from the age of eight to the age of 25. However, his small stature and selfless style of play led to him remaining outside of the radar of bigger clubs. He was then transferred to the Boulogne reserves team in 2010.
A 1-2 home defeat by AS Monaco marked his professional debut on 18 May 2012. After Virgile Reet had served his 10 minutes on the field, he stepped on the pitch and took his place. In 2013, he played 38 games for Caen, who were promoted to Ligue 1 after playing all 38 games.
His one absence from the team was due to a suspension after being sent off in a 1-0 loss to Rennes. Nevertheless, Kante played 37 games the following season to help Caen remain in the top flight. The most notable thing about him is how often he recovered the ball throughout the season.
Premier League
A premier league club scouted Kante, and Leicester signed him on a four-year contract on 3 August 2015. His notable performances on the pitch, consistently making a high number of tackles and interceptions, earned him high praise in the most contested league in the world. After winning the 2015-2016 Premier League, Leicester made history by becoming the most unexpected winner in EPL history. Kante’s performances led to him being included in the Premier League’s Team of the Year.
N’Golo Kante ended the season with some fantastic statistics. He had 175 tackles, 31 more than anyone else, and 157 interceptions, 15 more than anyone else. So when it comes to defensive statistics, he was at the top of the league during the 2015/2016 season.
As of 16 July 2016, Chelsea reported that Kante had signed a five-year contract for 32 million pounds. The first game of the season for the new club was against West Ham on 15 August 2016. The Blues have benefited dramatically from Kante’s presence since then.
International career
The first time N’Golo Kante was selected for the French senior squad was on 17 March 2016. At halftime, he replaced Lassana Diarra in the 3-2 win over the Netherlands at the Amsterdam Arena.
On his birthday, he made his professional debut in a 4-2 victory against Russia on 29 March 2016. After an excellent overall tournament, Kante was selected as part of the France squad for Euro 2016 but was not involved in the final, which France lost to Portugal 1-0 after extra time.
During the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, he achieved the greatest of all of his honors. A winner of the man-of-the-match award against Denmark during the group stage, Kante played in all seven matches of the tournament. On the 15th of July, he started against Croatia during the tournament’s final.
Complete midfielder
Though seen and portrayed in the media as a defensive midfielder or a ball-winning midfielder, the Frenchman grew into new roles for Chelsea as a box-to-box player and also as a “Carrilero” as time progressed.
In addition to attacking and defending, Kante is supported in the middle of the park by Jorginho. “Carrilero” is the player who does not step into the box too often. He receives safe passes, has defensive duties, marks and tackles opponents, and covers overlapping full-backs. Kante was a box-to-box midfielder who created opportunities for the team to score, attack the box, and finish the chances.
The manager gives him tactical responsibilities according to how the match progresses or how the game goes, which he masterfully combines.
The Champions League final
Looking at the still images of the referee blowing the final whistle on Saturday’s Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City, one man stands tall. N’Golo Kante, who remained steadfast in the face of exhaustion.
He led the Citizens from start to finish. He added another gold medal to his already impressive collection in Portugal, one of the all-time great performances of a central midfielder.
In Saturday’s victory, he showcased his newly-honed art, shutting down Man City’s three attack-minded midfielders almost wholly. So did Pep Guardiola believe that to attack would serve as the best form of defence for the match, or was it arrogance?
No matter what his thoughts were, he did not consider the might of Kante. In the first half, the midfielder appeared to have the upper hand over Kevin De Bruyne, closing in on him and snaking out a boot every time he looked to dislodge the Belgian creative player.
In the second half, he produced one of the standout defensive moments of the match. Kante arrived out of nowhere to show us the ‘clean sliding tackle from behind’ less frequently seen by De Bruyne and Chelsea’s defence.
Unfortunately, Man City’s fragile backline fell prey to Kante’s counter-attacks, as he robbed the Citizens of possession and ignited lightning counters against them. The midfield was not complete without him. Indeed, he was the beating heart of that team. Kante and Jorginho formed Chelsea’s compact four-person wall against Guardiola’s three, denying Man City any space and limiting them to just a few goal attempts.
Final thoughts
Kante may never win the Ballon D’Or, but he belongs to the group of players who significantly influence their clubs and countries. Even though he is far from the end of his career as a professional footballer, with plenty of energy and stamina left, Kante is an inspiration to future generations, with his name already written in history.
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