Jamie Vardy has revealed that Leicester City midfielder N’Golo Kanté initially showed little interest in playing for the France national team, highlighting the midfielder’s low-key rise to superstardom before their historic 2015-16 Premier League title win.
The Reluctant International Call-Up
Long before N’Golo Kanté became a World Cup winner and a central pillar of French football, the industrious midfielder was entirely focused on club duties and questioned whether international football was even for him. According to Jamie Vardy, his former Leicester City teammate, Kanté did not even want to represent France when the topic first surfaced during their fairytale Premier League championship run.
Speaking to the media about their time together at the King Power Stadium, Vardy explained that Kanté’s famously modest demeanor meant he rarely looked past his immediate day-to-day training and matches. The tireless ball-winner, who arrived from Caen in the summer of 2015 for a modest fee, captured the attention of world football almost overnight through his relentless interceptions and unmatched work rate.
From Boulogne to the Premier League Summit
Kanté’s path to the top tier of European football was unconventional. He started his senior career with Boulogne in the French third tier before moving to Caen, where he helped secure promotion to Ligue 1. Even as his reputation grew across Europe, his professional outlook remained grounded.
When Claudio Ranieri brought him to Leicester City, few pundits predicted the profound impact the French midfielder would have on English football. Kanté ultimately made his senior international debut for France in March 2016 against the Netherlands, shortly before earning a spot in Didier Deschamps’ squad for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament on home soil, where Les Bleus reached the final.
International Success and World Cup Glory
Despite his initial hesitation, Kanté quickly became indispensable for both club and country. After cementing his status as one of the world’s premier defensive midfielders at Leicester, he secured a high-profile transfer to Chelsea in the summer of 2016, where he won another Premier League title in his debut season.
On the international stage, Kanté started every match for France during their triumphant 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign in Russia. His defensive dominance in the heart of the midfield proved crucial in neutralizing opponents, earning him widespread acclaim as one of the tournament’s most valuable players. Vardy’s recollections offer a rare window into the mindset of a player who achieved global renown while maintaining the quiet humility that defined his career.
Related reading
