Kante: I almost chose rugby over football

After a dream debut season in English football in which he won the Premier League with Leicester, Kante has gone from strength to strength and is without doubt an integral part of the Chelsea side which will top the Premier League table at Christmas, having won 11 consecutive Premier League games.

However, Kante's career could have taken a different turn had he listened to an old schoolteacher.

In an interview with the 'Sunday Times', he said: "When I began school we started swimming, rugby, football, athletics and basketball.

"We did rugby, I tried to tackle the man and my teacher said, 'When you were at the tournament the scout from the club said you have good spirit, good condition, maybe you can play rugby'. 

"In the end the teacher said to my family, 'Maybe it would be good for N'Golo to do some sport' and my choice was to play football".

The France international also spoke of his relatively modest choice of car - a mini - and says driving a flash motor is not something that really interests him.

"Me, I've never been someone who loves a car and when I was young I didn't have the ambition of a car or something like that," Kante said.

"But, uh, my Mini, for the beginning, was good to learn to drive on the left. I got it in Leicester. And I still have it now. But it's good".