It's hard to believe but once upon a time, World Cup and Champions League winner N'Golo Kante was unsure whether he would make it as a footballer.
In fact, he trained for a completely different career before making it pro.
The French midfielder's influence for club and country in recent years has been priceless but what about the 30-year-old's humble beginnings at local amateur club Suresnes?
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Ten years ago, Kante wasn't even playing regular first-team football in the French third division.
After being turned down by several clubs, a 20-year-old Kante was given a chance in Boulogne's reserve team.
Kante admitted back in 2016 that he only started to believe he could make it as a professional in his early 20's.
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"I was at Boulogne, in the second team - the sixth, then the fifth division. I wasn't professional, so I kept studying because I wasn't sure if I would be able to make a living as a footballer," he said via Sky Sports News.
"When I was 18, I got my baccalaureate [the French A-Level equivalent] and after that, I did two more years of study in accountancy.
"When I went up to the first-team, I became professional, so I stopped studying. I got my qualification in accountancy, but now I prefer to concentrate on football."
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It may have taken him two years to be handed that highly anticipated first-team debut but in May 2012, Kante made his professional bow on the final day of the Ligue 2 season.
He appeared for already relegated Boulogne in a brief 11-minute cameo, losing 2-1 to AS Monaco.
It wasn't exactly a dream debut but it was a start. The midfielder knew the importance of taking his chances.
The following season, Kante began to make an impression and broke into Boulogne's first team after a number of solid performances in the centre of midfield.
Boulogne finished in 13th place while Kante missed just one game out of 38 during the 2012/13 campaign.
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It was a huge breakthrough season and Ligue 2 side Caen decided to bring the midfielder to the Stade Michel d'Ornano on a free.
That decision was a stroke of genius from manager Patrice Garande. Not only did Kante contribute heavily to Caen's promotion to Ligue 1, but he helped the club maintain a place in France's top league the following year.
In the space of three years, Kante went from playing in France's sixth division to Ligue 1 but it could have been so very different if the likeable character had chosen to progress in accountancy.
Featured Image Credit: N'Golo Kante/InstagramTopics:ย Chelsea, Football, Premier League, France, N'Golo Kante
