N’Golo Kante will rightfully go down as one of the best players of his generation. Before, his position was labelled the ‘Makelele role’. Now, it is the Kante role. The Frenchman has gone from rags to riches to become one of the most successful footballers around. In the space of five years, he has won the Premier League twice, the Europa League, the FA Cup, the World Cup and, to top it off, provided a Man of the Match performance to help win Chelsea the Champions League.
And his performance is set to be rewarded, too. According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are set to offer the ‘winner of everything’ a new contract. It will be a highly deserved one for quite possibly the most humble player around. On the pitch, Kante silently goes about his business, shutting down the best of midfields. One moment, he is closing down a player, the next, he is intercepting the aforementioned player’s pass.
Chelsea are lucky to have N’Golo Kante, and they know it. The Frenchman is like having two players in one such is his talent and work rate.
N’Golo Kante to Be Offered New Chelsea Contract
N’Golo Kante: The Man for the Big Occasion
When you think of players who step up on the biggest of occasions, it is usually those with the loudest voice who spring to mind; the leaders who have earned the right to be slightly arrogant. But Kante is the opposite of that. You’ll probably see Sunday League footballers with more of an ego than the ex-Leicester City man.
Even having ticked everything off a footballer’s trophy bucket list, he still remains the same humble guy that Leicester City once brought in. At the time, nobody could have predicted his phenomenal rise to the top. As proven by the Champions League final, N’Golo Kante is the real player who steps up for the big occasion. He may not do it in the loudest of ways, but he does it in the most effective.
Providing a Performance Worthy of the European Crown
Against Real Madrid, in the semi-final, he made arguably the best midfield trio in the last decade of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro look like amateurs. Pep Guardiola should have taken note of that performance; prepared for the threat Kante posed. But he did the exact opposite.
Despite watching Kante dominated the aforementioned Madrid trio, Guardiola opted to play without a natural defensive midfielder in Rodri or Fernandinho for just the first time in 60 games. Kante and Chelsea had a field day. The Frenchman picked up his third Man of the Match award in his last three Champions League games, and the stats suggest why.
Kante won the most duels(11), won the most ball recoveries with ten to neutralise any Manchester City attempt of finding their stride, won four aerial duels, three tackles, completed 100% of his tackles and completed 100% of his take-ons. On top of that, he was not dribbled past once. It was a display full of discipline from one of the world’s best. It was a performance worthy of the European crown.
Now, the Euros await and a chance to add to his always-growing list of incredible honours. After another fantastic season, it would come as no surprise to see him lift the trophy with France.
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