Gary Lineker suggested Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante would enhance every single club in the footballing world.
Speaking on Match of the Day’s Top 10 podcast, Lineker, Micah Richards and Alan Shearer debated where to put Kante in their list for ‘Unsung Heroes’.
Richards almost refused to include the Frenchman in his choice, due to him being not unsung in the slightest.
Shearer placed the mild-mannered midfielder at number three, which would’ve been higher had he made more Premier League appearances.
Beauty of N’Golo
Of course, everyone knows about Kante and what he is good at.
It is no coincidence that Leicester City remarkably lifted the league title with the 30-year-old in their midriff.
Nor was it that Chelsea won the top flight the following season, having signed him from the Foxes for £30m (BBC).
He wasn’t the flashiest of names in either team, but he was probably the most influential.
Which is why Richards’ reasonings are fair, considering the credit Kante has been given for both silverware success.
As an avid Leicester fan, Lineker is certainly an advocate for the Parisian.
“He’s quiet, isn’t he. And he’s so modest and he’s shy and he smiles all the time. He should be in the top ten superheroes,” said the former England striker.
“He’s a player. Unbelievable. He’d improve any team on the planet, wouldn’t he?
“People talk about him on the ball… he breaks the lines, you know. He can burst through.”
Brilliant in Blue
Kante’s impact was evident again last year, mainly in the Champions League.
He was named man-of-the-match in the round of 16 second-leg win over Atletico Madrid, in both semi-final fixtures against Real Madrid and in the final.
Sadly, his contributions have died off since that historic victory over Manchester City.
Injuries have hampered the France international’s campaign, as they did for parts of the previous term.
However, this hasn’t prevented Kante from unleashing a few fine performances from his locker.
The display away to Tottenham Hotspur was particularly eye catching, as was last weekend’s goalscoring exhibition against Leicester.
Kante is back on the treatment table after twisting his knee in the mid-week European humbling of Juventus.
Unfortunately, it appears the brightest of bulbs is beginning to lose its shine.
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