Top Facts about N’Golo Kante, a Rags to Riches Tale

The facts about N'Golo Kante's upbringing, early life, parents, family, wife, lifestyle, car, net worth, and private life are all included in our Top Facts about N’Golo Kante.

In an essence, this is Kante's life story and Sportmob highlights untold facts from his childhood to his rise to prominence.

The midfielder's tackling and interception abilities are well-known. However, not many people have read his intriguing life background.

Top Facts about N’Golo Kante For Those Curious

Below you find several quick facts about the footballer.

Quick Facts

• Full Name:

   N'Golo Kante

• Nicknames:

   The Rat

• Date of Birth:

   29 March 1991

• Place of Birth:

   Paris, France

• Age:

   30

• Nationality:

   French

• Height:

   1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)

• Weight:

   68 kg

• Marital Status:

   Unmarried

• Girlfriend: 

  N/A

• Position:

   Central midfielder

• Current Team:

   Chelsea

• Jersey Number:

   7

Net Worth:

 23 Million Euro or 20 Million Pound 

(According to WTfoot)

N’Golo Kante Upbringing Years and Family Roots

N'Golo Kante was born in Paris, France, on March 29th, 1991. He was born into a lower-class family to parents who were largely unknown.

In 1980, Ngolo Kante's parents moved to France from Mali (West Africa) in search of greener pastures.

The soon to be a footballer was the first of four brothers and sisters to be born. His father died while Kante was a child.

He was burdened with a sense of obligation from an early age. Ngolo Kante's mother was saddled with the task of parenting after his father died.

Kante understood the need for hard work from an early age since he regarded it as the only way he could succeed in life.

One of the

Top Facts about N’Golo Kante

is that he worked as a garbage man while growing up in Rueil Malmaison, a small and heavily populated suburban district close to Paris, while his mother worked as a housekeeper to help support the family.

He used to work as a garbage man in eastern Paris, walking for kilometers looking for valuable waste to gather and send to small recycling companies in the name of 'quick cash.'

Knowing that picking up garbage would keep his family poor, Kante looked for other ways to achieve financial independence and a secure future for himself and his family.

While France was competing in the 1998 World Cup for glory, Kante thrived financially by collecting trash thrown by football fans throughout stadiums.

He covered a lot of ground near his house that was used for the event, including hotel squares that served as viewing areas.

N'Golo Kante did all of this in order to earn money that he could invest in something good.

Kante saw a changed France after the 1998 World Cup. He saw a country brimming with opportunities, whose football glory and future were relying on the shoulders of migrants, one of the Top Facts about N’Golo Kante.

This was also the moment when he became acquainted with the names of African migrants who assisted France in winning the FIFA World Cup in 1998.

Thierry Henry,

, Patrick Viera, Lilian Thuram, and Nicolas Anelka are examples of notable migrant stars.

These were well-known names at the time. As a result, France's World Cup victory in 1998 was a game-changer in migrant participation in French football.

N’Golo Kante Career Buildout

The young lad (aged 8) desired to be a football player after seeing a slew of football academies pop up near his home shortly after the 1998 World Cup.

His ambitions were quickly realized when he started training at JS Suresnes in the western suburbs of Paris.

Kante was quickly dubbed "the smallest and most focused young star in the club" by teammates upon joining the club, one of the Top Facts about N’Golo Kante.

Many of his teammates wondered where he came from and if he could endure long on the pitch because of his tiny size and appearance.

He demonstrated qualities that reflected his humble beginnings early in his career.

According to Kante’s assistant manager Pierre Ville:

“KANTE REMAINED OUTSIDE THE RADAR OF BIG TEAMS BECAUSE OF HIS SMALL STATURE APPEARANCE.

BACK THEN, HE WOULD PERFORM TACKLES ALL DAY, TAKE THE BALL FROM ONE END OF THE PITCH AND WOULD CARRY IT TO THE OTHER LENGTH OF THE FIELD.

THAT WAS HIS PRIVATE TRAINING ROUTINE TAUGHT BY NO ONE.”

N’Golo Kante Path to Prominence

The diminutive midfielder achieved early success with his childhood team thanks to humility and hard effort gained during his turbulent youth. Francois Lemoine, one of Kante's old friends, added:

“KANTE WAS 3 YEARS YOUNGER THAN US YET HE WAS ALREADY PLAYING WITH US.

WE WERE PLAYING AGAINST A LOCAL TEAM AND HE CAME ON TEN MINUTES FROM THE END. HE WAS SMALLER THAN EVERYONE YET NO ONE COULD GET PAST HIM.

AT THE END OF THE MATCH WE WENT INTO THE CHANGING ROOM, I LOOKED AT ONE OF MY TEAM-MATES AND I SAID TO HIM, ‘LOOK, HE’S SMALLER THAN US AND IN TEN MINUTES HE HAS SHOWN US HOW TO DO IT’. IT WAS A REAL LESSON IN HUMILITY.”

It was because of Kante's influence that his squad began to win titles.

Kante would be kept out of the celebrations because he was known to be shy.

He liked to see celebrations from a safe distance, another one of the Top Facts about N’Golo Kante.

The footballer's growth remained limited over time, but he was nonetheless considered as a (little but formidable) midfield force capable of covering every blade of grass on the pitch.

After nearly four years at the club, N'Golo Kante began to mature. This was the point when his personality and career path became clear.

Kante's reputation grew over time, and he eventually became the club's favorite and most devoted servant. As he recalls, his youth coach Voktyna assigned him a mission:

“BACK THEN, KANTE WAS THE ONE PLAYER WHO WOULD LISTEN AND DO ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING ASKED OF HIM.

LITERALLY, EVERYTHING. I ONCE JOKED WITH KANTE BEFORE A HOLIDAY.

I TOLD N’GOLO, I’M GIVING YOU TWO MONTHS TO JUGGLE THE BALL 50 TIMES WITH YOUR LEFT FOOT, 50 WITH YOUR RIGHT FOOT AND 50 WITH YOUR HEAD’.

TWO MONTHS LATER, HE DID IT! I WAS SHOCKED. FROM THIS MOMENT, I NEVER TOLD HIM WHAT TO DO. I LEFT HIM FOR NATURE TO DECIDE HIS CASE”

The gifted player's maturity gained him a job as an academy player later on.

He became part of a group of selected young athletes who volunteered to train younger children.

N’Golo Kante Ascend to Prominence

Kante's hard effort and appealing traits gained him a move to

a few years later, where he played from 2010 to 2012.

His outstanding achievements were praised by all, including his Boulogne coach Durand, who once said:

“KANTE WAS GREAT, HE PLAYED DIRECT, BOX-TO-BOX AND THE DISTANCE HE COVERED WAS THERE FOR ALL TO SEE.”

The midfielder's dedication as a senior player won him a move to

in England. During his time with the club, he was praised for his regularly great performances.

He was credited with playing a key role in the club's success in winning the Premier League in 2015–16.

Chelsea FC bought Kante in 2016 because of his consistent tackles and interceptions.

He went on to win another Premier League title with the club. For the second year in a row, he was named to the PFA Team of the Year.

Kante's career reached a pinnacle when he was awarded the 2018 World Cup trophy for his achievements, one of the Top Facts about N’Golo Kante.

The small professional imagined himself following his former 1998 World Cup idols, who not only won the tournament but also inspired him to pursue a career in football.

He once linked his World Cup success to a boyhood dream while speaking about it. According to a TalkSport report, he once said:

“I WAS 7 YEARS OLD WHEN FRANCE FIRST WON IT FOR THE COUNTRY [IN 1998] AND I WAS SO EXCITED, I SAID TO MY FRIENDS: ‘ONE DAY I WILL WIN IT.”

Without a doubt, Kante has proven to the world that he is the next great African-French talent.

On 14 September 2020, Kante made an impression in the Premier League opener against Brighton & Hove Albion, scoring three goals in a 3–1 away triumph.

On February 23, 2021, he made his 200th appearance for

in all competitions when Chelsea defeated Atletico Madrid 1–0 in the Champions League round of 16.

The 30 year old received widespread praise for his performance against Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid en route to the Champions League final.

He was chosen man of the match when Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final in Porto to win his first UEFA Champions League.

Kante's performance in the Champions League was termed "unbelievable" by

, and commentators believed that it put him in contention for the Ballon d'Or in 2021, another one of the Top Facts about N’Golo Kante.

The football genius remarked that he was looking forward to receiving the trophy "it's a great individual award for players, but I see it as the result of a season. It's not necessarily an objective I'm working on."

Following Kante's match-winning performances in Chelsea's run to the UEFA Champions League final in 2020–21, several pundits predicted that he would be the natural successor to former France and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele, who is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of all time.

N’Golo Kante Personal & Love Life

With Kante's rise to stardom, everyone wants to know who Ngolo Kante's girlfriend, wife, or wag is.

There's no doubt that Kante possesses charming attributes such as loyalty, hard work, and humility, which lead many women to assume he'd make a better lover or husband.

Kante, however, is still single and appears to be focused on his career.

There had been rumors that Ngolo Kante was dating Djibril Cisse's ex-wife Jude Littler, one of the Top Facts about N’Golo Kante. It was eventually discovered to be false.

Knowing N'Golo Kante's personal life will help you form a more complete image of him. Kante is a man of great humility.

He is a person who avoids imposing himself on his teammates and friends, particularly during celebrations.

One of the

Top Facts about N’Golo Kante

is that he was too shy to grasp the World Cup trophy after

defeated Croatia during the 2018 World Cup celebrations.

“HE WAS SO SHY TO SAY ‘ITS MY TURN TO HOLD THE CUP, SO HE JUST STOOD AND LOOKED AT THE TROPHY FROM A DISTANCE.

SOMETIMES PEOPLE CAME IN FRONT OF HIM. AT SOME POINT, EVERYONE TOOK IT AND GAVE IT TO HIM SAYING ‘COME ON, TAKE THE CUP, IT’S YOURS”, Giroud noted.

To allow the humble midfielder to hold the trophy, his teammates had to step aside.

Shyness is not an impediment to success in life, as Kante has shown the world.

The

fantastic is well-liked because of his personality.

He is one of the rare football talents that even opposing fans find difficult to dislike.

N’Golo Kante Networth & LifeStyle

Despite being a multi-millionaire, N'Golo Kante has never owned a showy car or worn costly clothing.

He is known to drive his Mini Cooper to training as of the time of writing.

According to Paul Fletcher, a reporter for BBC Sport:

“KANTE IS UNINTERESTED IN DISPLAYING HIS WEALTH DESPITE RECEIVING £120,000 PER WEEK”

The central midfielder signed a contract with Chelsea in 2016 that pays him 7.2 million Euros (6.3 million pounds) per year.

According to our calculations, he earns €19,672 (£16,931) per day and €820 (£705) every hour!

This indicates that the average man would have to work for at least 17 years to earn what The Rat earns in just one month, one of the

Top Facts about N’Golo Kante

.

The Chelsea midfielder is one of the club's highest-paid players, and he is well-deserved for his fortune.

His current net worth is estimated to be at 23 million Euros (20 Million Pound).

The footballer's Market Value is much more than his most recent transfer fee suggests.

His market value reflects his status as one of the top defensive midfielders in the world.

He is currently estimated to be valued at around 80 million euros (72 Million Pound).

N’Golo Kante Family

N'Golo Kante's family's tale depicts a journey from poverty to wealth.

The Chelsea legend is without a doubt a product of humble beginnings and a humble family.

Various people who train and play barefoot in the many dusty parks scattered over Africa have been inspired by his family's sacrifice.

With Kante's ascent to popularity, he is now able to enroll his younger sister in the female football youth system in Suresnes, western suburbs of Paris.

He has also helped his brother and mother launch their own businesses with financial aid.

N’Golo Kante Less-Known Details

And as the final part of this writing. We give you a couple of facts the public is mostly unaware of.

The Lucky Barber

Naji Nagy, N'Golo Kante's barber, once refused to cut ties with him after Kante moved to Chelsea from Leicester. Naji once revealed the nature of his friendship with Kante by saying:

“I HAVE BEEN CUTTING KANTE’S HAIR SINCE HE CAME TO LEICESTER. HE HAS BECOME MORE THAN A CUSTOMER, HE IS A FRIEND, MORE THAN THAT EVEN. I AM SAD HE HAS MADE THE MOVE TO CHELSEA BUT HAPPY HE SENDS ME MONIES TO TRAVEL 130 MILES TO COME CUT HIS HAIR.”

The hairdresser, who has a salon in Leicester, also revealed his hopes for keeping their connection going in the future:

“I HAVE CONSIDERED TO RELOCATE MY FAMILY TO LONDON AND BECOME A REGISTERED CHELSEA FAN ALL THANKS TO MY CLIENT.”

Preferring Lassana Diarra over Makelele

Kante was compared to Claude Makelele in his early days at Nantes by the French regional newspaper La Voix du Nord. This is because they have a similar playing style. When asked if Makelele was a role model for him, Kante responded "No."

The brilliant midfielder chose Lassana Diarra as a role model instead of Makelele. Makelele replied when he heard this:

“KANTE SHOULD FOCUS ON STRIVING MORE TO BECOME AN EXCEPTIONAL PLAYER ON LEADERSHIP BASIS AND NOT ONLY ON HIS ENERGY AND EXCELLENT BALL-WINNING ABILITIES.”

His Nickname

N'Golo Kante was nicknamed "The Rat" by his Chelsea teammate Eden Hazard in 2016 for reasons related to the former's tactical defensive abilities and ability to recover the ball from opponents.

Read More: 

Follow 

for the