An £86m-a-year deal, scoring outrageous goals and putting his injury nightmare behind him in the Saudi heat... how N'Golo Kante found his 'new lease of life' after starring role in France's opening Euro 2024 win
- Kante awarded man of the match in France's 1-0 opening Euros win over Austria
- Midfielder has found new lease of life in Saudi Arabia after injuries at Chelsea
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Before his man of the match performance in France's 1-0 European Championship win over Austria, N'Golo Kante had been in hibernation from international football for 21 months.
His July 2023 £86million-a-year deal with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia seemed to signal his being sent out to pasture following a torrid spell with injuries in the latter stages of his time at Chelsea.
A nasty long-term hamstring problem saw him play just nine games in his final season in London and ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup.
But the more sedate Saudi Pro League and good weather in the gulf kingdom, not to mention the financial incentives, appear to have allowed the diminutive Frenchman to regain his form and fitness of old.
While the pace and intensity of play is lower in Saudi Arabia, Kante, famed for his stamina, hasn't taken his foot off the gas, playing over 2,600 minutes this past season as he tallied up seven league goal contributions from deep in the engine room.
![High fives all round for Kante and his Al-Ittihad team-mates after the Frenchman scored a curling top-corner winner in a 2-1 victory over Al-Fateh in Riyadh in September last year](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/18/11/86259497-13542021-image-a-17_1718707388915.jpg)
High fives all round for Kante and his Al-Ittihad team-mates after the Frenchman scored a curling top-corner winner in a 2-1 victory over Al-Fateh in Riyadh in September last year
![Kante celebrates with his man of the match award in Dusseldorf after his stunning display](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/18/13/86262509-13542021-image-a-8_1718715521904.jpg)
Kante celebrates with his man of the match award in Dusseldorf after his stunning display
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Speaking post-match on ITV, Roy Keane noted that 'some players get a new lease of life' moving to Saudi Arabia and that 'it's a new challenge for him [Kante].'
Gary Neville added: 'There were a couple of years ago when he looked like he was finished. It looks like he's got a second lease on life. Obviously, he's playing in a great team but... sometimes when you get to 30, 31, you think you're near the end of your career and you get a little bit stale.
'All of a sudden, you start to enjoy your career a little bit more... And you get £86m a year! He's enjoying himself all of a sudden.'
Kante played in friendlies before the Euros began against Luxembourg and Canada but with the depth France head coach Didier Deschamps has at his disposal it seemed doubtful the 33-year-old would start.
But Kante 'shone' against Austria, according to Deschamps, who managed to get the best out of the midfielder having selected him in favour of Real Madrid youngsters Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni.
It was a decision that initially raised eyebrows at French newspaper L'Équipe given Kante's time in the Arabian sun.
Kante previously told L'Équipe: 'For the names that went to Saudi Arabia, I wouldn't be surprised if the Saudi League is better than the French.' And his Al-Ittihad team struggled last season, only mustering a fifth-place finish in the Pro League, below Al-Taawoun, a team not supported by the Kingdom's Public Investment Fund.
But Kante insisted, 'I went to Saudi Arabia to play, and knew if I did well, the door would remain open [to the French national team].
![Kante has come straight into the fold at the Euros despite spending the season at a perceived lower level with Al-Ittihad](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/18/15/86267465-13542021-image-a-2_1718720370238.jpg)
Kante has come straight into the fold at the Euros despite spending the season at a perceived lower level with Al-Ittihad
![He seemed to have regained his title-winning form of old in front of the back four against Austria](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/18/15/86267161-13542021-image-a-3_1718720372593.jpg)
He seemed to have regained his title-winning form of old in front of the back four against Austria
'I knew it was going to be difficult [to get selected]. But I had confidence in myself and told myself that if I had a good season I would have a chance of returning to the squad,' he added after his selection for the France squad was announced.
After Kante's stellar man of the match performance, L'Équipe and any other doubters have been proven squarely wrong with Gary Neville declaring Kante the 'best player on the pitch' despite the presence of Kylian Mbappe.
Post-match Kante declared he was back to his best: 'It's great to be back with the French team, to be back to my best, to feel good and to be able to give my all with my team-mates. After that, there's a lot of praise, but we work together, we fight for the team, for the result.'
Kante's pedigree has never been up for debate. He was the foil to Paul Pogba in midfield during France's failed run to the 2016 Euros final on home soil, and again as France clinched the 2018 World Cup.
His performances for Leicester City during their title-winning run in 2016-17 and for several trophy-winning seasons at Chelsea were world class.
And his career has been immortalised, not least in internet memes declaring '70 per cent of the earth is covered by water, the rest is covered by Kante', and the song fans of Les Bleus made for him during the 2018 World Cup.
Playing alongside Adrien Rabiot against Austria, Kante shielded his centre backs in characteristic fashion and took the pressure off those further up the pitch like Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Marcus Thuram.
'As soon as we have him on our team we know we have won,' Thuram said of Kante before the tournament began, a point proven on Monday night.
The man the French sing 'stopped Messi' and joke 'is a cheater' was up to his old defensive tricks again in Dusseldorf. Kante's most important intervention came late in the second half with Austrian substitute Patrick Wimmer breaking toward the French goal as he sought out an equaliser.
![In Saudi Arabia he plays with compatriot and fellow former European titan Karim Benzema](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/18/15/86267557-13542021-image-a-1_1718720365842.jpg)
In Saudi Arabia he plays with compatriot and fellow former European titan Karim Benzema
![Kante makes a vital challenge on Patrick Wimmer as the Austrian looked to hit on the counter](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/18/11/86259385-13542021-image-a-16_1718707268480.jpg)
Kante makes a vital challenge on Patrick Wimmer as the Austrian looked to hit on the counter
Kante was well behind the taller Austrian but overtook him to pinch the ball away before he could even muster a shot at Mike Maignan in the French goal.
It was not only his defensive prowess that caught the eye though.
Kante sparked attacks throughout the game too with incisive passing, including one into Thuram in the penalty area in the second half that looked to have set up France's second goal only for Patrick Pentz to make a smart save down to his right.
After collecting his man of the match trophy, Kante told TF1: 'I'm delighted to be back, it's nice. I like to be with the national team. I loved it when the fans started chanting my name. Thank you!'