The incredible story of Ngolo Kante

Nkwain Desmond May 30th, 2021, 11:25 am

Kante is the footballer every manager will wish to have on his team. Who would have predicted that 7 years ago?

N’golo Kante – the humble garbage collector who has become the world’s most loved footballer!

Born in 1991 in the suburbs of Paris to Malian immigrants, Kante had a difficult childhood and up till 2009, he was helping his father collect garbage in the city.

Meantime, he began playing amateur football and 3 years later in 2012, he made his senior professional debut with Boulognes in French 2nd division. He then played an entire season in 3rd division the following year before moving to Caen in 2nd division where he spent two seasons and got his big move to Leicester City in England in 2015.

We learn that while at Leicester, Kante wanted to run to training in place of riding in luxury cars as football stars often do. Even when he finally got a car, he got a second-hand mini cooper – which he used even after it crashed by the side.

N’golo was the heart of Leicester’s EPL title-winning exploit in 2016, and he was named the club’s player of the season that year.

The following year, Russian billionaire Abramovich signed him up for Chelsea, where he won another EPL title , becoming only the 2nd player in EPL history, alongside Eric Cantona, to win back-to-back Premier League titles with different clubs. He was also named PFA player of the year that season

In 2017, he was named French player of the year, and 12 months later, he won the World Cup with France – a trophy that he was shy to touch until a teammate had to put in his hands as he smiled gracefully.

Love and admiration for N’golo transcends Chelsea, and is manifested even by rival fans worldwide.

In this season’s CHAMPIONS LEAGUE campaign, he has been the standout players when it most matters, notching MVP awards in the 8th finals, quarter finals , semifinals(both legs) and final.

Despite being in the peak of his art and at the summit of world football, N’golo’s simplicity and humility have not left him.

It is not for nothing that everyone loves him.

He’s among the favourites to win the ballon d’or this season