LONDON -- Brentford defender Maxime Colin knew about N'Golo Kante long before the Premier League did. Six years ago the pair were teenagers battling to earn their professional stripes at little Boulogne-sur-Mer, then in Ligue 2, with no clue as to the vastly different trajectories their careers would take as Kante went on to win the title with Leicester before sealing a £30 million move to Chelsea last summer.
Back then it was Colin who was regarded as the more polished prospect, even as the quiet Kante typically aced every running drill.
"At the time the gaffer [Michel Estevan] wanted him to play right-back," Colin told ESPN FC.