Kanté prefers titles over awards, has no time for silly rumors

It’s impossible to love N’Golo Kanté any more than we already do. But the man just won’t stop saying things that make us love him more.

He’s arguably the best defensive midfielder in England, if not Europe. Under Conte his game has taken another step forward and he’s becoming a true box-to-box midfielder. (We won’t play the GIF of that cross for the goal against Leicester again, but we want to. )

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And yet no matter how much praise he gets — PFA Player of the Year, France football’s best player of 2017, eighth in Ballon d’Or voting — nothing, absolutely nothing, goes to his head. He remains The Most Modest Man in the World™. Witness the interview he gave to French regional newspaper Ouest-France, whose territory includes his old French club Caen.

“I say to myself that I still have things to improve.

“The rewards are a great recognition, but how do I put it ... It’s not that it doesn’t mean anything, but it doesn’t win matches!”

As if that weren’t mature enough, get a load of his perspective on the life of a sportsman. You have to remind yourself that this fellow is only 26 years old. He brings the wisdom and outlook of a veteran who’s wrapping up a long career.

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“I’m just saying: these are good years, but football, it changes very quickly, you always have to start all over again.

“I prefer to win titles and share emotions with my teams than to have individual trophies or to hear that I’m one of the best in the world.”

Preach it, brother. He’s a shy man, quiet almost to a fault, so he’ll probably never be a vocal team leader. But if you’re looking for an ideal glue man, the kind of player who keeps everyone working together, staying humble and leading by example, there can’t be a better one around than Chelsea’s #7.

He’s not looking to leave, either. We told you on Wednesday that he said “I am at home. It is my club, I am a Chelsea player.” But that won’t stop the questions. Oeust-France are a news outfit and they’re in France, so they were duty bound to ask Kanté about the PSG rumors. He gave the answer we’ve come to expect from him.

“A lot of things are being said, we can’t predict the future.

“I feel very good at Chelsea, I’m thriving in this championship, it’s the only thing I’m focusing on for now.

“Rumors, they’re not important.”

-N’Golo Kanté ; source: Ouest-France

Amen to that.