N’Golo Kante was born into poverty to parents who migrated from Mali to France in 1980 for better opportunities. His father passed away when he was young, leaving his mother to raise him alone. From an early age, Kante felt a strong sense of responsibility. His mother worked as a cleaner to support the family, while he collected trash around eastern Paris suburbs to earn money. During the 1998 World Cup, he capitalized on the event to collect discarded items from football fans, boosting his earnings. Inspired by the soccer academies opening near his home, eight-year-old Kante began aspiring to pursue a career in football.
The Inspiring Childhood of N’Golo Kante: From Trash Collector to World Champion
Our biography of N’Golo Kante delves into his childhood, early life, parents, family background, wife, lifestyle, car, net worth, and personal life. It covers his journey from humble beginnings to international fame, revealing untold details about his upbringing and rise to prominence.
Now, to whet your autobiography appetite, here is his childhood to adult gallery — a perfect summary of N’Golo Kante’s Bio.
N’Golo Kante: A Remarkable Journey from Humble Beginnings to International Stardom
Yes, everyone knows of the midfielder’s great tackling and interception skills. However, not many have read Kante’s Biography, which is very interesting. Without much ado, let’s begin.
N’Golo Kante Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, N’Golo Kante was born into the Aries zodiac, on the 29th day of March 1991 in Paris, France. He was born to relatively unknown parents. And from a poor family background.
N’Golo Kante’s parents moved to France from Mali in 1980, seeking better opportunities and a brighter future.
Meet N’Golo Kante’s Mother.
Growing-Up Years:
Early on, Kante knew the value of working hard because he saw that as the only way he could achieve something in Life.
Growing up in Rueil Malmaison, a small and densely populated suburban area close to Paris, Kante worked as a trash/garbage picker.
His mother, on the other hand, worked as a cleaner in order to help sustain the family.
As a garbage picker, Kante would walk for kilometres around the Suburbs of eastern Paris, looking for all sorts of valuable waste.
He would collect and deliver them to small recycling firms, all in the name of ‘quick cash’.
Knowing fully well that Garbage Picking would continually make his family poor, Kante sought alternatives to financial freedom and an assured future for himself and his family.
N’Golo Kante’s Biography – Road To Football Career:
While the 1998 World Cup was ongoing for the glory of France, Kante prospered financially by making more money collecting Trash dropped by football fans across stadiums.
He picked up lots of garbage across the ground used for the tournament’s venue – which is close to his home, including squares of Hotels that served as viewing centres.
N’Golo Kante did all this to make money that he could invest in something worthwhile.
A rare photo of fans watching the 1998 World Cup in France. This was a time when Kante made money from picking and selling refuse from fans.
After the France 98 World Cup, Kante saw a different France. He saw an opportunity-filled country whose football glory and future rested on the shoulders of migrants.
This was a time he became familiar with the names of African migrants who helped France clinch the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Kante immediately saw a future for himself in football after watching France lift the World Cup in 1998.
Notable migrant stars consist of players like Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira, Lilian Thuram (father of Marcus and Khephren Thuram), and Nicolas Anelka. These were household football names popular at the time.
Consequently, France’s World Cup victory in 1998 brought about a turning point in terms of Migrant participation in French Football.
N’Golo Kante’s Biography – Early Years in Career Football:
Shortly after the 1998 World Cup, Kante (aged 8) aspired to take football as a career. At that time, he noticed that many soccer academies had opened close to his home.
It wasn’t long before his aspirations became a reality as he began his career at JS Suresnes in the western suburbs of Paris.
I guess you can spot Ngolo Kante among youngsters. Just see how nearly everyone was looking at him.
Upon registration with the club, Kante was immediately tagged by teammates as the smallest and most focused young star in the club.
At first, his small stature plus looks kept many of his teammates wondering where he came from and if he could last for long on the pitch.
Early on in his career, Kante exhibited qualities that showcased his humble beginnings. According to Kante’s assistant manager, Pierre Ville;
“Kanté stayed under the radar of big teams due to his small stature. Despite this, he tirelessly practiced his game, making tackles throughout the day and moving the ball from one end of the pitch to the other as part of his personal training regimen, which he devised on his own.”
N’Golo Kante’s Biography – Road To Fame Story:
It was humility and hard work learned in his troubled youth that helped the miniature midfielder achieve early greatness with his youth club.
One of Kante’s old pals, Francois Lemoine added that;
“Kante was three years younger than us, but he was already playing alongside us. During a match against a local team, he came on for the last ten minutes. Despite being smaller than everyone else, no one could get past him.
“After the match, as we were in the changing room, I looked at one of my teammates and said to him, ‘Look at him. He’s smaller than us, yet in just ten minutes, he showed us how it’s done.’ It was a true lesson in humility.”
It was Kante’s impact that made his team start winning trophies. Did you know?… While his teammates celebrated, Kante would be left out because he was known to be shy.
He was someone who would rather watch celebrations from a distance.
So humble right from childhood. Kante helped them win the cup BUT kept away from it while his teammates celebrated. He was the smallest among giant kids.
Even as time passed, Kante remained stunted in growth but was regarded as a (small but mighty) midfield force who would cover every blade of grass in the field.
His small stature almost looked the size of the little visiting kid staring at him in the picture below.
Small but Mighty was his nickname in his early days. The kid on the far right looks IN SHOCK at the small kid who helps his team win trophies.
N’Golo Kante began growing after spending about four years at the club. This was a time his personality and career path became obvious.
At some point in time, Kante’s popularity saw him become the club’s favourite and most faithful servant. His youth coach Voktyna gave him a task, as he recalled;
“Back then, Kante was the type of player who would listen and do absolutely everything asked of him. Literally everything. I remember once joking with him before a break, saying, ‘N’Golo, I challenge you to juggle the ball 50 times first with your left foot, and then 50 times with your right foot, and 50 with your head over the next two months.’ To my surprise, two months later, he did it! I was amazed. From then on, I never needed to tell him what to do. I trusted in his natural ability to find his own way.”
Kante’s maturity later earned him a job even as an academy player. He joined a team of selected youth stars who took extra hours to train younger kids.
Kante became employed by his club to assume leadership roles despite being an academy player.
N’Golo Kante’s Biography – Rise To Fame Story:
“Kante was exceptional; he played direct, covered box-to-box, and his incredible work rate was evident for everyone to witness.”
It was at Boulogne that his impressive covering skills became quite difficult for scouts to ignore.
Kante’s consistent tackles and interceptions attracted Chelsea FC, who acquired him in 2016. With the club, he went on to win another Premier League title.
He was also named to the PFA Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.
The peak of Kante’s success was seen when his hard work earned him the 2018 World Cup trophy.
At this time, Kante saw himself imitating his former 1998 World Cup heroes who not only won the world cup but inspired him to become a footballer.
Speaking about his World Cup victory, Kante once aligned it with his childhood dream. He once said, according to TalkSport report;
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
Certainly, Kante has proven himself to be a shining star of his African-French generation. The rest, as they say, is history.
Who is N’Golo Kante’s Wife?
With Kante’s rise to fame, the question on everyone’s lip is…who is Ngolo Kante’s girlfriend, wife, or wag?.
There is no denying the fact that Kante has endearing qualities, including loyalty, hard work, and humility, that make many ladies believe he would make a better boyfriend or husband.
At the time of writing Ngolo Kante’s Biography, he is still single and seemingly focused on his career.
N’Golo Kante’s Personal Life Away from Football:
Getting to know N’Golo Kante’s personal life would help you get a complete picture of him.
Kante is an extremely humble man. He is someone who does not like to impose himself on his teammates and friends, especially during celebrations.
During the 2018 World Cup celebrations, N’Golo Kante initially felt too shy to hold the World Cup trophy after France’s victory over Croatia.
“He was so shy that he didn’t assertively ask to hold the cup. Instead, he stood back and admired it from a distance. Eventually, his teammates encouraged him, handing him the trophy and urging him, ‘Come on, take the cup, it’s yours’.”
Said Giroud. His teammates had to stand aside to allow the humble midfielder to hold the trophy.
Kante, indeed, has taught the world that Shyness indeed is not an obstacle to success in life.
Ngolo Kante’s personality makes him so loved. He is one among very few football stars whom rival fans or Chelsea fans find difficult to hate.
Below is a video of Kante’s encounter with a Chelsea female fan. Credit to ChelseaTV.
N’Golo Kante’s Family Life:
The story of N’Golo Kante’s family denotes a rise from poverty to riches. Without a doubt, Ngolo Kante comes from the most humble of beginnings and family origin.
The sacrifice of his family has inspired many who train and play barefooted on the many dusty parks dotted across his African family roots.
With Kante’s rise to fame, he is now able to fix his younger sister at the female football youth system at Suresnes, in the western suburbs of Paris.
Kante has also provided financial assistance to his brother and mother to start their businesses.
Below is a video of Ngolo Kante’s family having fun just after the World Cup.
N’Golo Kante Lifestyle:
Kante shows little interest in flaunting his wealth despite earning £120,000 per week.
N’Golo Kante’s Fun Facts:
To wrap up our N’Golo Kante biography, here are fun facts about the midfield maestro.
Earth Coverage:
Football Fans were once shocked to see Kante’s serious gazes at his former coach’s family. To some fans, it looks like he was about to risk it all by intercepting Antonio Conte’s wife and child.
Sugarcane Selling:
The Lucky Barber Blessed by Kante:
N’Golo Kante’s barber, Naji Nagy, once refused to cut ties with him after Kante left Leicester for Chelsea. Revealing the relationship that existed between him and Kante, Naji once recalled:
“I’ve been Kante’s barber since he arrived at Leicester. Over time, our relationship has grown beyond just a customer and barber; he’s become a close friend. I was sad when he moved to Chelsea, but I’m grateful that he still values our connection enough to cover my travel expenses—despite the 130-mile distance—to cut his hair.”
The hairdresser who runs a salon in Leicester also revealed his plans for the future with regards to sustaining their relationship.
“I’ve thought about moving my family to London and becoming a registered Chelsea fan, all thanks to my client.”
said a happy Naji Nagy.
Preference for Lassana Diarra over Makelele:
“Kanté should focus more on becoming an exceptional player in terms of leadership, not just relying on his energy and excellent ball-winning abilities.”
Reason Behind His Nickname:
N’Golo Kante was in 2016 nicknamed “The Rat” by his Chelsea Teammate Eden Hazard for reasons not far from the former’s tactical defensive abilities and his ability to recover the ball from opponents.
EndNote:
Thanks for reading this insightful write-up on N’Golo Kante’s biography. We have our sights set on facts and fairness in delivering French Football Stories. Kindly stay tuned for more. The Life History of Adrien Rabiot and Antoine Griezmann will excite you.
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