Chelsea’s midfield star N’Golo Kante wanted to represent Mali at the international level before France swooped in and asked for his services, former Leicester assistant boss Steve Walsh revealed.
The 25-year-old has been a constant figure in Chelsea’s starting line-up, playing a major role in The Blues’ title charge.
The former Leicester City player has now featured 13 times for France since his debut less than a year ago.
Walsh revealed that Kante opened up to him about his desire to play for Mali, the country of his parents’ origin.
“I want to play for Mali, my parents are from Mali,” Kante said to Walsh, according to The Sunday Times.
Walsh, now the director of football at Everton, however advised Kante to pick France over Mali, since he the European side had a better chance at challenging for top honors.
Kante had an unforgettable season, helping minnows Leicester City to win the 2015/16 Premier League title, as well as playing an integral part of France’s Euro 2016 campaign which saw them finish second behind Portugal.
The French international, now with Chelsea, has a chance of winning a second Premier League title in a row. The Londoners currently lead the standings with a ten point gap between them and second placed Tottenham Hotspurs.
