french association football player

N’Golo Kanté ( bear 29 March 1991 ) is a french professional football player who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League clubhouse Chelsea and the France national team. [ 4 ] Considered by many to be one of the world ‘s best midfielders, Kanté is widely praised for his work rate and defensive acumen. [ 5 ] [ 6 ]

Kanté made his senior professional introduction with Boulogne in 2012, appearing as a utility in one Ligue 2 match, and played an entire season in the third class the follow year. After that he joined Ligue 2 side Caen on a free transfer, finished third base and won forwarding to Ligue 1. He stayed with the club for one more year. In 2015, Kanté joined Leicester City for a fee worth £5.6 million and was integral to their inaugural Premier League victory. The surveil class, he joined Chelsea for a fee worth £32 million and again won the league, making him the first outfield player to win consecutive English league titles with different clubs since Eric Cantona in 1992 and 1993. [ 7 ] He has besides won the PFA Players ‘ Player of the year and FWA Footballer of the Year, an FA Cup, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Champions League. He was named the UEFA Men ‘s Midfielder of the year in 2021. Kanté made his senior international debut for France in 2016 and was included in the team that finished runner-up at the 2016 european Championship. In 2017 Kanté was named the french Player of the Year, a first for a musician from the Premier League in seven years, and twelve months former was a key penis of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winning squad .

Club career

Boulogne

Born in Paris to malian parents, [ 8 ] Kanté began his career at the age of eight at JS Suresnes, in the western suburbs of the das kapital, remaining there for a ten. According to adjunct coach Pierre Ville, Kanté remained outside the radar of big teams because of his small stature and altruistic styles of play. [ 9 ] He was rejected from the academy at Clairefontaine during this clock. [ clarification needed ] [ 10 ] In 2010, after Arsenal director Arsène Wenger passed on the offer of signing Kanté, Suresnes ‘ president ( one of Wenger ‘s best friends ) personally drove him around to visit different clubs. [ 11 ] He joined the military reserve team of Boulogne, and made his professional debut in the last game of the Ligue 2 season on 18 May 2012, a 1–2 home frustration for his already relegated team to Monaco. He replaced Virgile Reset for the final 11 minutes. [ 12 ] During the 2012–13 season, he played in the third-tier Championnat National, missing only one league game. On 10 August, he scored his first aged goal, the entirely one in a win over Luzenac at the Stade de la Libération, [ 13 ] and he added two more over the campaign .

Caen

Kanté with Caen in 2013 In 2013, he joined Ligue 2 side Caen and played all 38 games in his foremost season as they came one-third in Ligue 2, earning them promotion to Ligue 1. In his second equal on 9 August, he scored his first goal to equalise in a 2–1 win at Laval ; [ 14 ] he levelled again with his early goal of the campaign on 11 April 2014, in a 3–2 win at Istres. [ 15 ] The follow season, Kanté played 37 games as Caen remained in the exceed flight ; his one absence was suspension through being sent off in a 0–1 home loss to Rennes on 30 August. [ 16 ] Three weeks early, he scored their first goal of the season in a 3–0 win at Evian. [ 17 ] He recovered the ball more times over the season than any early player in Europe. [ 9 ]

Leicester City

Kanté was scouted for Premier League club Leicester City by Steve Walsh, who had previously facilitated the transfers of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez to the team. [ 18 ] He was identified as the successor to Esteban Cambiasso. [ 10 ] On 3 August 2015, he joined Leicester on a four-year compress, for an undisclosed fee reported to be worth €8 million ( £5.6 million ). [ 19 ] [ 20 ] He made his debut five days late by replacing Vardy for the final eight minutes of a 4–2 home succeed over Sunderland. On 7 November, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 2–1 home winnings against Watford. [ 21 ] He earned much praise and many plaudits for his systematically impressive displays for Leicester, and was widely considered to be a major factor in the cabaret ‘s excellent form as they went on to win the 2015–16 Premier League, systematically making a high number of tackles and interceptions. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] In April, he was one of four Leicester players named in the PFA Team of the Year. [ 24 ] By the end of the season, Kanté had managed 175 tackles ( 31 more than any early player ) and 157 interceptions ( 15 more than any early player ), topping the defensive stats at the end of the 2015–16 Premier League season. [ 25 ]

Chelsea

2016–21 : league and european champion

Kanté playing for Chelsea in 2017 On 16 July 2016, Kanté signed a five-year cope with Chelsea who reportedly paid £ 32 million in transplant fees. [ 26 ] [ 27 ] Arsenal allegedly backed out of the deal due to agent fees involved which totaled more than £10 million and rather opted to sign Granit Xhaka. [ 28 ] due to disputes arising from the sharing of agent fees, Kanté was national to death threats, [ 29 ] a claim which he subsequently denied. [ 30 ] Kanté was given the number 7 shirt, left vacant since the die of Ramires in January. [ 31 ] According to Football Leaks, Chelsea offered to transfer a separate of the wage into an offshore account to avoid taxes. Kanté refused with his lawyer stating in an e-mail : “ N’golo is elastic, he just wants a convention wage. ” [ 32 ] On 15 August 2016, Kanté made his competitive introduction in their season undoer against West Ham United. Despite picking up a jaundiced card in the first three minutes of the game, he shone as the crippled went on, to help Chelsea to a 2–1 victory. [ 33 ] Three months after his move to London, he faced his former english, Leicester City for the first time, and was Man of the Match in a 3–0 victory. [ 34 ] On 23 October, he scored his first base goal for Chelsea in a 4–0 home winnings against Manchester United. [ 35 ] On 26 December 2016, Kanté was named by L’Équipe as the world ‘s sixth best football player of 2016. [ 36 ] On 13 March 2017, Kanté was named man of the match and scored the merely goal in the 51st minute, in an FA Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] On 20 April, Kanté was named in the PFA Team of the class for the second straight temper. [ 39 ] He was besides former named the PFA Players ‘ Player of the Year, [ 40 ] the FWA Footballer of the Year, [ 41 ] and the Premier League Player of the Season. [ 42 ] Kanté become the first actor since Eric Cantona in 1993 to win back‑to-back top-flight titles in England with two clubs. [ 43 ] Kanté was nominated for the Ballon d’Or in October 2017. [ 44 ] He would go on to gain an FA Cup winners medal, appearing for the unharmed 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory over Manchester United in the concluding on 19 May 2018. BBC Sport awarded him the serviceman of the pit award. [ 45 ] He signed a new five-year contract at Chelsea on 23 November 2018, making him Chelsea ‘s highest paid player. [ 46 ] Kanté scored the first goal of Chelsea ‘s 2–1 EFL Cup semi-final second peg acquire at home to Tottenham Hotspur. The seduce was tied 2–2 on aggregate at the goal of 90 minutes, with Chelsea winning the gunfight 4–2. [ 47 ] Kanté scored on his 300th club appearance, a 2–2 home draw against Burnley on 22 April. [ 48 ] Despite not being in full fit, Kanté started the 2018–19 Europa League final and dominated Arsenal ‘s midfield [ 49 ] as Chelsea won 4–1. [ 50 ] Kanté started the 2019 Premier League crusade from the bench as Chelsea suffered a 4–0 away defeat to Manchester United. [ 51 ] He has been out for about a month including missing the Champions League undoer against Valencia because of ankle wound. [ 52 ] Kanté scored the merely goal in a 1–2 personnel casualty against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on 22 September 2019. [ 53 ] His first goal of the season was nominated for the Premier League Goal of the Month award along with his Chelsea teammate, Fikayo Tomori. [ 54 ] Kanté marked his hundred-and-fiftieth Chelsea appearance with a goal against Manchester City, in a 1–2 aside frustration on 23 November. [ 55 ] Later that month Kanté revealed he decided against moving to PSG and said, “ ‘ sometimes we do not necessarily know where we want to go, but we know what we have. ” He said he felt good in London and had faith in the project at Chelsea. [ 56 ] In May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kanté chose to train from home after Chelsea resumed training on locate. The club supported his stance, even if he would miss the pillow of the season. [ 57 ] Kanté impressed in the Premier League opener against Brighton & Hove Albion, in a 3–1 away win on 14 September 2020. [ 58 ] [ 59 ] He marked his two-hundredth appearance in all competitions with the club 23 February 2021 as Chelsea beat Atlético Madrid 1–0 in the Champions League round of 16. [ 60 ] [ 61 ] Kanté was widely lauded for his performances against the spanish sides, Atlético Madrid [ 62 ] and Real Madrid, en-route to the final of the Champions League. [ 63 ] He was named serviceman of the match as he won his first UEFA Champions League after Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final in Porto. [ 64 ] Arsène Wenger described Kanté ‘s performance as “ improbable ”, [ 4 ] and commentators argued that Kanté ‘s performance in the Champions League put him in competition for the 2021 Ballon d ’ Or. [ 65 ] [ 66 ] [ 67 ] [ 68 ] [ 69 ] In anticipation of the award Kante said that “ it ‘s a great individual award for players, but I see it as the result of a temper. It ‘s not necessarily an aim I ‘m working on. ” [ 70 ] After Kanté ‘s match-winning performances in Chelsea ‘s tend up to the concluding of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League season, respective pundits proclaimed him as the apparent successor to former France and Chelsea actor Claude Makélélé, who is considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders of all time. [ 69 ] [ 71 ] [ 72 ] [ 73 ] For his performances throughout the season, Kanté was named the UEFA Men ‘s Midfielder of the class on 26 August 2021, but lost out to Chelsea teammate Jorginho in the UEFA Men ‘s Player of the Year Award. [ 74 ]

2021–22

In late September 2021, Kanté tested positive for COVID-19 amid its pandemic, and was required to self-isolate for 10 days. [ 75 ] On 8 October, Kanté was one of five Chelsea players included in the concluding 30-man shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d’Or. [ 76 ]

International career

Born to malian parents, Kanté was approached by Mali ahead of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations having not played for France in any of their senesce group teams. Kanté declined on the footing that he was however trying to establish himself in Ligue 1. [ 77 ] Mali issued a far invitation to Kanté in January 2016, [ 78 ] although he stated that he was still undecided about which national team to represent should he get an invite from France. [ 79 ] On 17 March 2016, Kanté was selected for the France senior police squad for the first time to face the Netherlands and Russia in friendlies. [ 80 ] He made his introduction against the former eight days later, replacing Lassana Diarra at one-half time in a 3–2 succeed at the Amsterdam Arena. [ 81 ] On his twenty-fifth birthday, 29 March, he made his inaugural start and scored to open a 4–2 acquire over Russia at the Stade de France ; companion birthday celebrant Dimitri Payet besides scored. [ 82 ] On 10 June 2016, Kanté appeared in his first competitive match for France by starting the opening match of Euro 2016 against Romania ; he played the entire match, made the most passes, the most tackles, the most interceptions, covered the most distance on the pitch and assisted Dimitri Payet ‘s winning goal in a 2–1 victory. [ 83 ] [ 84 ] [ 85 ] In the round of 16 match against the Republic of Ireland at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Kanté picked up a scandalmongering card in the 27th infinitesimal ( his second base of Euro 2016 which would cause him to be suspended from the quarter-final ) and was replaced with Kingsley Coman in the 46th moment with the french trail 0–1 at half time. [ 86 ] Kanté was unused in the concluding, which France lost 1–0 to Portugal after extra time. [ 87 ] On 17 May 2018, he was called up to the 23-man french squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia by coach Didier Deschamps. [ 88 ] He featured in all 7 matches for France in the tournament. [ 89 ] He was awarded man-of-the-match in a 0–0 draw against Denmark in the concluding match of the group stage on 26 June, [ 90 ] and on 15 July, Kanté started in France ‘s 4–2 gain over Croatia in the concluding of the tournament. [ 91 ] In May 2021, Kanté was called up for the France squad for UEFA Euro 2020. [ 92 ]

Player profile

style of play

A moral force, bantam, and disciplined musician, [ 93 ] [ 94 ] [ 95 ] Kanté is known for his grim energy and excellent ball-winning abilities as a box-to-box midfielder in the concentrate of the pitch. [ 96 ] [ 97 ] [ 98 ] [ 99 ] [ 100 ] This is attributed to his strong positional sense, off the ball apparent motion, and ability to read the game. [ 101 ] predominantly known for his tactical awareness, intelligence, anticipation, and the defensive aspect of his game—his ability to tackle and regain possession, intercept passes, and parry shots—Kanté is besides capable of playmaking from inside his own half and is an effective passer on the counter-attack, helping kick start attacking plays immediately after winning spinal column the ball. He is besides quick up and down the slope and much makes late attacking runs in to the box. [ 94 ] [ 101 ] [ 102 ] [ 103 ] [ 104 ] [ 105 ] [ 106 ] [ 107 ] [ 108 ] A deep bloomer, by the historic period of 21, Kanté had only made one senior appearance in the second tier of french football. He credits his sedate and composed demeanor on the pitch to his gradual rebel through three levels in the football league pyramid. [ 109 ] Kanté cites Lassana Diarra [ 97 ] [ 102 ] and Claude Makélélé, with whom he is much compared, as inspirations but insists he has his own stylus and approach towards the game, [ 110 ] [ 111 ] one which is improper [ 69 ] [ 112 ] and described as “ false four “, [ 113 ] “ relayeur “, [ 112 ] “ carrilero “, [ 114 ] [ 115 ] and “ mezzala “. [ 114 ] [ 116 ] His game is considered as, or tasked with, doing the “ dirty knead ”, which includes run, fetching, and retrieving monomania. Though Kanté does n’t necessarily enjoy his function, he once said, “ [ the ] satisfaction in recovering a ball, in protecting my team from an adversary ‘s attack ” is what keeps him going. [ 109 ] Kanté made the most tackles in Europe ‘s top leagues in back-to-back seasons ( 14–15 and 15–16 ). [ 117 ] [ 118 ] In his foremost 150 Premier League appearances he totaled 92 wins, 28 losses and 10 goals. In five years, in the Premier League, he has so far to receive a red tease. [ 119 ] [ 49 ] Under Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri, Kanté was deployed in a more advance midfield character —one that he previously played in at Leicester—showcasing his effectiveness in possession and ball-carrying duties. [ 120 ] In 2021, Tuchel restored Kanté in a “ double six ” holding midfield character to capital effect, predominantly on the right side, and normally partnered either by Jorginho or Mateo Kovačić. Kanté was effective in both disrupting an opponent ‘s possession play in the final-third a well as springing swift counter-attacks from the midfield. [ 49 ]

reception

In April 2016, Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Kanté as the best player in the Premier League, [ 94 ] while the postdate year, early Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard labelled him the best central midfielder in the global. [ 108 ] His World Cup winning midfield partner, Paul Pogba, said he could outrun an integral team of 11 players. [ 104 ] His league-title victorious coach, Claudio Ranieri, often joked about him having “ batteries ” and said : “ One day, I ‘m going to see you cross the ball and then finish the cross with a header yourself. ” [ 94 ] Thomas Tuchel, with whom Kanté won the 2020–21 Champions League, [ 121 ] said, “ If you play with N’Golo you have half a man more ; this is unique. It is a pleasure to be his coach, he is a big endow for me, a guy so, so base and who is such a big benefactor on the pitch. ” [ 49 ] Off the pitch, Kanté ‘s early Chelsea coach, Antonio Conte, praised his work ethic and constant willingness to improve. [ 103 ] [ 105 ] A popular Internet meme that 70% of the planet is covered by water and the rest by the Kanté twins exemplifies his standing among the fans and their recognition of his work ethic and take of the game. [ 109 ] [ 122 ] In 2021, Max Cooper of 90min.com described Kanté as one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time, [ 123 ] while his Chelsea director Thomas Tuchel described him as one of “ the very best midfielders in the earth. ” [ 124 ]

personal life

Kanté is a practising Muslim. [ 125 ] He was born in Paris to malian parents who migrated to France from Mali in 1980. [ 8 ] He grew up in a small apartment in Rueil-Malmaison, Hauts-de-Seine. [ 9 ] His church father died shortly after N’Golo turned 11 and his elder sibling Niama died of a heart attack before the 2018 World Cup. [ 126 ] He is named after King Ngolo Diarra of the Bamana Empire. [ 127 ] His younger baby was besides in the young person system at Suresnes. [ 9 ] Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Diego Maradona were his favored players growing up. At the age of 21, while playing for Boulogne, he earned a diploma in vocational account. [ 107 ] At the start of his professional career at Boulogne, he commuted to training on a kick iceboat and as of 2018 drove a Mini Hatch —his first purchase in England because he found it easy to learn to drive in. [ 9 ] [ 107 ] Kanté is mindful of his public sensing as a shy and private individual, but besides said that stories about him by current and erstwhile teammates, like Jamie Vardy, were much exaggerated. [ 109 ] [ 128 ] [ 129 ] [ 130 ] Kanté ‘s nickname is “ NG, ” and outside of football, he enjoys playing tennis. His go-to karaoke sung is Vegedream ‘s “ Ramenez lanthanum coupe à la maison “. During his initiation at Chelsea, which he described as a “ nerve-racking here and now, ” his teammates said he was not loudly adequate. His darling serve is thieboudienne because of his beget ‘s cook. [ 131 ]

career statistics

club

As of match played 23 November 2021[132]

International

As of match played 13 November 2021[140]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
France 2016 13 1
2017 7 0
2018 16 0
2019 3 0
2020 5 1
2021 7 0
Total 51 2
As of match played 13 November 2021. France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kanté goal.[140]

Honours

Leicester City
Chelsea
France
Individual
Orders

References