It’s a rare feat to be loved by almost every Premier League supporter, regardless of allegiance, but N’Golo Kante is closer to that status than many.
Since his arrival in English football, the Frenchman has established himself as not only one of the best players in world football – but also one of the nicest.
Signed for just over £5million by Leicester City in 2015, the midfielder became the lynchpin of the most staggering title win in a generation.
Less than 12-months later he earned the Foxes a profit of more than £25m, signing for Chelsea and instantly driving them to their own Premier League success.
Five years later, and under his fourth different boss at Stamford Bridge, Kante is still a vital part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
To celebrate his 30th birthday, Mirror Sport have taken a look at just some of the things that have made him one of the most popular players in recent years.
First impressions
Arriving from Ligue 2 side Caen, Leicester fans could have been forgiven for having low expectations of their new signing.
However, little did they know the impact Kante was having behind the scenes, as then Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri explained to the Players’ Tribune in 2016.
"This player Kante, he was running so hard that I thought he must have a pack full of batteries hidden in his shorts. He never stopped running in training.
“I had to tell him, 'Hey, N'Golo, slow down. Slow down. Don't run after the ball every time, okay?'
“He says to me, 'Yes, boss. Yes. Okay.'
“Ten seconds later, I look over and he's running again. I tell him, 'One day, I'm going to see you cross the ball, and then finish the cross with a header yourself."
Down to earth
After making the move to Chelsea in 2016, Kante’s profile could scarcely have been higher.
That had no impact on his lifestyle however, as probably best seen by the vehicle he decided to keep.
Unlike the Lamborghinis, Porsches and Ferraris that fill Premier League players’ car parks, Kante would arrive to training in his beloved Mini Cooper.
"I've never been a car lover, when I was young my ambition was never to have a car or anything like that,” he said, when asked about his car.
In 2018, he was involved in a collision with a lorry on the way to training. With the wheel arch missing and the wing mirror held on by tape, the midfielder still used it to get to training.
Rather than cause any ribbing in the Chelsea dressing room, he actually inspired his teammates, with Eden Hazard also purchasing himself one.
Kante’s crowning moment
After dominating English football, Kante became a world champion in 2018, as France went all the way in Russia.
Unsurprisingly, the Chelsea midfielder was a driving force behind their triumph, but after their 4-2 win over Croatia in the final, he decided to take a back seat in celebrations.
Hauled off after 55 minutes, Kante appeared reluctant to lift the trophy – an assumption later backed up by his Les Bleus and Chelsea teammate Olivier Giroud.
“He is so shy so he didn’t want to say ‘give it to me’, so he had to wait,” he explained.
“Sometimes people came in front of him. At the end of the day someone took it and gave it to him.”
It was another simple moment that captured the hearts of fans across the world.
His one weakness
It took years, but his international teammates appear to have finally found his one small weakness, cheating at card games.
Blaise Matuidi highlighted his secret habit in 2018, after it emerged Kante went out of his way to ensure he paid his full level of income tax.
He said: “I didn’t really follow this story, but I’m not surprised because it is N’Golo. He’s perfect, he doesn’t cheat. Just a bit when he plays cards.”
In a subsequent viedo released by the national team, Kante was spotted trying to get an advantage in a game of Uno, leaving Kylian Mbappe in fits of laughter.
As humble as ever
In a world of flashy cars, millionaires and celebrities, N’Golo Kante is a welcome connection between fans and players.
After all, he is simply doing on the pitch, what every supporter in the stand would dream about, if they had the chance.
And he is under no illusion just how fortunate he is: “We are lucky to be playing football for a living,” he told Mirror Sport in 2018.
“For me, this is what I have always wanted to do. To get to this level is all down to Allah’s blessing,” he said.
“There are millions of people out there, who every day want to get the opportunity to do the work we are doing and it’s a short career. That is why I give it my all at every given opportunity.”
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