Kante 'deserves' Ballon d'Or for his heavy lifting
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Blues defender Kurt Zouma carrying N'Golo Kante after the France midfielder recovered the ball 10 times and won 11 duels without committing a foul in his man-of-the-match showing against City.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PORTO • Chelsea's N'Golo Kante cemented his place as one of the finest central midfielders in the modern game with a man-of-the-match display as he guided his side to a 1-0 Champions League triumph over Manchester City on Saturday.
The 30-year-old was playing in the French second division for Caen just six years ago but since then, he has been on a remarkable streak of trophy collecting.
He won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016 and then again with Chelsea the following year.
After winning the FA Cup with the Blues, he was a key component of the France team which claimed the 2018 World Cup.
A Europa League title came the following season before Saturday's Champions League victory in Portugal for Chelsea's second European Cup after their 2012 success.
His run could continue, with France among the favourites for Euro 2020, which starts next month.
Against City, he showed all the reasons why he has been so essential to those successes, with his ability to stymie the opposition.
No player won the ball back more times during the final than his 10 recoveries and he was one of the reasons why Premier League champions City ended up with just one shot on target.
"Kante's staggering. I'm shattered just watching him," said former Chelsea midfielder and BT Sport pundit Joe Cole.
"I played (at Chelsea) with (France great) Claude Makelele whom I thought was the best until I saw this kid. He's got Makelele plus extras.
"In the same way a striker's got that instinct in front of goal, he's got that in midfield. (City's Ilkay) Gundogan, (Bernardo) Silva and (Phil) Foden couldn't read it, Kante was just on it."
Often praised for his ball-winning skills, Kante's passing and running with the ball also allows Chelsea to transition quickly from defence to attack.
He has also won numerous individual awards but has yet to be in serious contention for the biggest ones, such as the Ballon d'Or. This year, he is set to be in the running.
Former Chelsea midfielder Ramires believes he should be talked about for such honours - even if the soft-spoken Kante does not have a high profile off the field.
"He's very calm, always quiet. He's an extraordinary player. He's in every corner of the field. In defence, in the middle, in attack, on the sides," the Brazilian said.
"He's among the best in the world.
"The way he's playing is impressive. He may turn out to be one of the top three in the world. It's hard for a defensive midfielder to come in and win a Ballon d'Or. But it would be deserved."
REUTERS