Talking about one of the most liked football players Chelsea and France playmaker NGolo Kante is one player whose name will not miss the list. The football star was born on March 29, 1991, in Paris, France. His parents were immigrants from Mali looking for a greener pasture and moved to France in the 1980s.
After the death of his father, he was left with his mother. NGolo Kante knows the value of hard work even as a little boy, so he always tries to ease the burden on his family. Kante is the firstborn of his parents, and he grew up with his sibling in a small flat in Rueil Malmaison, a small and dense suburban area in Paris.
Growing up in Rueil Malmaison, Kante’s childhood had been spent as a scavenger. He walked far to the east of Paris to collect waste and garbage. He would sell the waste and garbage to a recycling company to feed the family, but he realized that the money he got from there was too small to meet the needs of the house, so he had to double his work.
The low-income family’s life made him very willing to work hard more than watching a football match. He only watched it when there was a bar or café that showed it on television. Ngolo Kante desired to be a football player when many youth clubs were standing around at his house.
Until eventually, the 1998 World Cup gave him its own story. Kante began to learn the meaning of football. At that time, the French national team was amazed. It was very special for Kante as the French squad at that time was filled with the names of immigrants such as Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Patric Vieira, and Nicolas Anelka. Through their participation, France had managed to win the title of World Champion.
Besides starting to learn football through the 1998 World Cup, Kante, a scavenger, managed to reap a huge profit from the world cup. Every day, he could gather so much ‘waste’ from the tourists who visited France. That garbage left by football lovers around the world had become very valuable items for Kante.
After the 1998 World Cup, he joined a football academy JS Suresnes in the western suburbs of Paris. After entering the academy, Kante became a popular player in the team. But there were so many people doubting his capacity to be able to survive during 90 minutes because of how small his stature was.
His lack of stature was actually his advantage. He learned how to be a good scavenger with his tiny body. Day by day, Kante grew up along with his academy. NGolo Kante successfully presented some trophies. After spending four years with his first academy, Kante was included in the young player rank who helped train younger children. He took extra hours to train them.
In this case, Pierre Ville, who was the manager, became an important figure to make Kante a considerable player. It was from that time that he started getting small tips for his upkeep. After having a career in his local club, Kante began to work on a more professional level. From 2010 to 2012, Kante linked up with Boulogne. His passion had successfully amazed the Boulogne’s coach, Durand.
Being successful with the French side, he joined another French side Caen in 2013 before he was liked by English Premier League side Leicester City in 2015. This was where his brilliant career had begun. After previously stating that he really wanted to play in England, Leicester City became one of the success stories of NGolo Kante as a professional footballer.
Steve Walsh brought him to Leicester on August 3, 2015. As the best midfielder, Kante had shown off his quality by becoming part of Leicester City magical season. Besides the primary league title he won with Premier League, he also won the best player in the Premier League that season. It was said that 70% of the world is covered by water while NGolo Kante covers the other 30%.
His charming performance made Chelsea sign him, and he went on to win the Premier League player of the year again. He was included in the 2018 World Cup Squad in Russia, which his country won. NGolo Kante has won both the Europa League, Champions League, and Premier League, making Chelsea one of the most successful France players.
Now, Kante has become one of the best midfielders in the world. Many footballers often hail his name. His humble figure and never-ending persistence have managed Kante to realize his childhood dream, raising his family social class.