"He was brilliant", "Everywhere on the pitch" - Gary Neville and Roy Keane hail France star's performance in win over Austria at Euro 2024
Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane waxed lyrical about N'Golo Kante after he inspired France to a 1-0 win against Austria at Euro 2024. Les Bleus kicked off their campaign with a narrow win on Monday, June 17, and are currently second in Group D with three points, behind the Netherlands on goals scored.
Following a two-year absence from the national team, Kante was recalled to the squad for the European Championships and started alongside Adrien Rabiot in midfield for Les Bleus' tournament opener. The former Chelsea star had a phenomenal game with Maximilian Wober's 38th-minute own goal giving France all three points.
Keane was impressed by the Frenchman, telling ITV Sport (via HITC):
"He was brilliant. He has got that vast experience. I think what he is really good at, we talk about breaking the play up, but it’s when he does the other bits as well."
“He’s sharp with his passing. He covers the ground, we know that. His decision-making is excellent. But he is neat and tidy with his passing. He loves a little one-two. He can pass it forward. He makes runs forward. He looked like a younger version of himself. He was excellent – that role is about football intelligence and he has it in abundance.”
Neville concurred with Keane's opinion, adding:
“You just said it, Roy. He’s not just a holding midfield player. He is everywhere on the pitch. He runs forward and Rabiot just sits back from him and balances it off. I thought he was absolutely outstanding tonight."
"The best player on the pitch – A few years ago, he looked like he was finished. Sometimes, a second lease of life, obviously, he is playing in a great team and brought back. Sometimes, when you get to that age of 30 or 31, you are near the end of your career and you get stale, then you start to enjoy your career a bit more."
Kante was the highest-rated player on the pitch (7.9), as per FotMob, and was deservedly named Player of the Match. He completed 46 passes from an attempted 53 with an accuracy of 87 percent, creating two big chances for France. Moreover, he won five duels, made six recoveries - including a last-man tackle, and two interceptions.
How has France superstar N'Golo Kante fared for Al-Ittihad this season?
France international N'Golo Kante established himself as one of the best midfielders in Europe during the 2015-16 campaign when he helped Leicester City win the Premier League title. He joined Chelsea in the following season, winning six trophies with the Blues over the course of seven seasons, including the league title and UEFA Champions League.
Following a dismal 2022-23 campaign in which he made only nine appearances for Chelsea due to injury, Kante opted to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad as a free agent. The 33-year-old didn't have the best of seasons as Al-Ittihad failed to win any trophies, finishing fifth in the league, despite winning the title in the 2022-23 campaign.
Even though many fans believed Kante was done at the top level, the Frenchman netted four goals and provided six assists in 44 appearances across all competitions for Al-Ittihad. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner will aim to continue his ascension in France's next Euro 2024 fixture against the Netherlands (June 21).