On September 15, 2018, N'Golo Kante walked off the Stamford Bridge pitch, satisfied. As was often the case, the Frenchman had just covered every blade of grass over the course of the 90 minutes. And, as was so often the case, he was not one of the major speaking points at full-time. Not right away, at least.

Eden Hazard was the man of the moment, the Belgian having scored a hat-trick against Cardiff City to propel Chelsea to the top of the Premier League. A day later, however, all the English newspapers were carrying stories on Kante.

It had everything to do with his behaviour after the match, but Kante did not get into a fight outside the stadium, nor did the tabloids dig up any scandalous, dark secrets from his past. Kante made headlines instead because of his lovable nature, that which helped him become one of the world's favourite footballers during the late 2010s.

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  'So much more than a good footballer'

  Kante had rushed away from the stadium and hurried towards St. Pancras railway station as he desperately tried to catch the Eurostar to Paris to visit family. For one of the few times in his career, however, he was late and missed his train.

  The Chelsea man subsequently decided to visit a nearby mosque, where he was greeted Badlur Rahman Jalil. The Arsenal fan invited Kante to his home, and while the average, highly-paid Premier League star might immediately decline, the humble Frenchman happily agreed.

  "We prayed together in the mosque," Jalil told the about his meeting with the World Cup winner. "It's Islamic custom to invite people over for dinner, so I just asked him. He was alone and was going home anyway, so he came along. We ate chicken curry because he was on a protein-rich diet. Afterwards, he beat us all at FIFA and we watched Match of the Day. It was a very enjoyable evening."

  "I can't believe how humble he is," wrote a friend of Jalil's who had been in attendance on Twitter. "He is so much more than just a good footballer. For me, he is a role model as a Muslim and an example of a good person."

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  'Friendliest person'

  This story is not the exception, but rather the rule when it comes to Kante. For example, he once travelled three hours to show his support for a Chelsea fan who had just come out of a triple-bypass heart surgery. A year later, he saw the same supporter again when he attended his daughter's wedding.

  Kante does not drive around in a flashy Ferrari, but regularly opts for a Mini Cooper. An anecdote from former defender Felipe Saad, whom Kante played with for Caen, illustrates his mentality perfectly after the Brazilian took the introverted midfielder under his wing. 

  "He's the friendliest person I know," Saad told magazine. "You don't see people like that in football anymore. That's why everyone in the dressing room loves him. He's exactly as you see him on television. He always has this shy smile on his face and he hardly ever says anything.

  "I took him under my wing from the start. I once invited him to my birthday party. It was a small party, with only two or three other players, in an English restaurant. Suddenly, he walked into the restaurant with a box of chocolates in his hand, looking very embarrassed. N'Golo apologised for the gift and said he didn't know what to give because he had never been invited to a birthday party before!"

• Humble beginnings

  When Kante won the PFA Player of the Year award in 2017, his characteristic speech quickly spread around the world. "Thank you everyone, thank you for the applause," said the then-26-year-old with an endearing smile plastered on his face. The tremor in his voice, the many 'uh's' and the nervousness which became evident from the of sweat on his forehead made for adorable sight.

  "This is a huge honour. It's very special to be here, because a few years ago I was still playing in the lower divisions in France. Five years ago, I wasn't even a professional footballer…" 

  That's what makes Kante's story so remarkable. How is it possible that this likeable, humble midfield warrior remained unnoticed for so long? To find the answer, we must first return to a western suburb of Paris: Rueil-Malmaison, where Kante, the son of two Malian parents who moved to the French capital in 1980, grew up.

  "From a young age, I developed a love for football," Kante recalled in 2023 during an interview with the Premier League's YouTube channel. As a boy, he signed for JS Suresnes, who were then playing in the ninth tier of the French football pyramid. "That's where I learned about life in football and got used to working hard. The coaches there often put me in a team with older, taller and physically stronger boys. I made up for that difference with hard work and tenacity."

  Pierre Ville, one of Kante's coaches at the French amateur club, has been asked many questions about his time at Suresnes: "My first memory of him is of a little guy who couldn't even reach the top of the table. He was not even four feet tall, but he arrived here with a huge smile and just wanted to play football quietly. He always had that little smile on his face."

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• Overcoming adversity

  But behind that smile lies a painful tragedy. When Kante – one of nine children – was 11 years old, he lost his father. He helped his mother by going garbage picking to collect a little extra money, while football was his escape, his feet and lungs his weapons. However, as Kante approached his 21st birthday, still no professional club had picked him up. Paris Saint-Germain, located just a few kilometres away, never made contact.

  "He was simply too small, not spectacular enough," Ville explained to the . "He didn't play for himself, but for the team."

  Kante eventually stood out to one team, French side Boulogne, although he first had to join the B team, which played in the fifth division.

  "When I played for Boulogne, I continued to study because I wasn't sure if I would make it as a professional player," Kante told . "When I was 18, I got my baccalaureate [comparable to A-levels] and then I studied accountancy for another two years."

  For Kante, everything changed at Boulogne when Georges Tournay succeeded Michel Estevan as manager in the summer of 2012. Tournay reassessed the club's youth sides and spotted someone everyone else had missed: Kante.

  "When I started there, I tested all kinds of young players, including him," Tournay explained to . "N'Golo immediately caught my eye. His movement without the ball, his technique, positioning and stamina. I wondered what on earth he was doing in the B team and immediately signed him to a pro contract."

  Tournay watched in amazement as Kante continued to run for minutes on end while his team-mates were completely exhausted and collapsed after a fitness test. Kante subsequently settled into the Boulogne first team in Ligue 2 after making his debut at 21 years old when against Monaco. Boulogne did suffer relegation that season, but 'NG' would go on to further establish himself in the third tier.