N'Golo Kanté

N'Golo Kanté (French: [(ɛ)ŋɡolo kɑ̃te]; born 29 March 1991) is a French football player. He plays for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad and the French National Team.

N'Golo Kante

Kanté warming up for France in 2018
Personal information
Full name	N'Golo Leon Jules Kanté
Date of birth	(1991-03-29) 29 March 1991
Place of birth	Paris, France
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team	Chelsea
Number	7
Youth career
1999–2010	JS Suresnes
2010–2012	Boulogne
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2013	Boulogne	38	(3)
2013–2015	Caen	75	(4)
2015–2016	Leicester City	37	(1)
2016–	Chelsea	152	(9)
National team‡
2016–	France	44	(2)
Honours Men's football Representing France FIFA World Cup Winner 2018 Russia UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2016 France
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15.49, 13 March 2021 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23.19, 14 November 2018 (UTC)

He made his name in the English Premier League with Leicester City. They won the league on 2015/16, largely because his tackles in midfield and passes to Jamie Vardy created so many goals.

Chelsea bought him next year (2016/17) for £32 million, and they also won the league that year. Since then opposing sides have adjusted to his particular skills, and he has been somewhat less successful. Nevertheless, his performance has been extraordinary as a midfielder only 5'6" tall in an era where most defenders are much taller.

Kanté made his senior international debut for France in 2016. In 2017 Kanté was named the French Player of the Year, a first for a player from the Premier League in seven years. 12 months later he was a key member of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winning squad.

Personal life

Kanté's parents moved to France in 1980 from the African country of Mali 11 years before his birth.