It’s impossible to dislike N’Golo Kante, who has a ‘big brother’ aura about him at Chelsea.
That’s the view of former Blues defender Mario Melchiot, who has likened the 2018 World Cup winner to legendary midfielder Claude Makelele.
AFP
Kante was simply unstoppable in Chelsea’s triumphant victory over Man City in the Champions League final – a display which earned him yet another man-of–the-match award following his two imperious semi-final showings against Real Madrid.
That has led to calls for the Frenchman to win this year’s Ballon d’Or – although the player himself has refuted such suggestions.
But on Monday’s talkSPORT Breakfast, Melchiot explained how Kante and Makelele are similiar in his eyes.
“You know what I like about him? It’s a little bit what I had with Makelele. They are similar guys in the way they are built,” Melchiot said.
“I don’t want to say how they play because that’s me bringing in something that’s not necessary.
“Sometimes they walk next to you and they look like your little brother but the moment they put the kit on they become your big brother.
“I feel like Kante is something like that. You see this little guy you look at him and [think] ‘why would I be scared by a man like you?’ And then when you’re on the field with him you go like, ‘oh, this little man becomes a giant’ and he runs the show.”
“Tuchel said it himself. He said, ‘I don’t want to start this game without him’, because he knows what he brings to the team.
“Arguably, we can talk about different kinds of players, [Kai] Havertz scored a great goal, and stuff like that but who bring the balance to the team is always the leader and that is why, for me, Kante is it.”
Kante, however, recently refuted comparisons made between him and his French compatriot.
“Growing up, coaches or team-mates might tell me that I resemble such-and-such a player,” Kante told UEFA.
“I was just someone who watched football; I would watch the games which interested me, without necessarily focusing on players in a similar position to mine.
“Whenever the international break came around, I would obviously watch France play. And getting to watch the likes of Makelele or Lassana Diarra, I drew inspiration from them at some point.
“But in the end, I’m not like them. I was lucky to be in touch with them and they’re great players with their own career, and I have my own career and path at my side.
“I have had some chats with Claude since I came to Chelsea. He was here to give me advice on my play, and the impact I can have on the game.
“Being able to talk with him about that is beneficial for me because he knows the position.”
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