Conte, who is now coaching back in Italy with Inter, was able to call upon the 29-year-old for two years before being replaced by Maurizio Sarri in the hot seat in west London.
The Italian says Kante’s presence made it seem like Chelsea had 12 men on the pitch, and that he always played with a “huge smile on his face”.
STANDARD 'N'Golo Kante can play in every position in midfield' – Antonio Conte lavishes praise on Chelsea midfielder Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte reveals N'Golo Kante is "one of the best players" he has ever coached, stating he felt as if he had … https://t.co/k7doVapJhJ
— Chelsea FC RSS Feeds (@CFCrss) May 12, 2020
“In my opinion, he can play in every position in midfield. We are talking about an amazing player, a top player. He is amazing with and without the ball. When you have N’Golo in your team, you can think you are playing with one player more. “You can find a smile on his face every day. He is a very positive guy. He is one of the best players I have had in my career as a coach.”
Kante was one of Conte’s first signings at Stamford Bridge, as the Blues spent £32 million ($39m) to lure the midfielder away from Leicester in summer 2016.
The World Cup winner has since racked up 164 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea, scoring 11 goals, while adding a second Premier League title, the FA cup and Europa League to his impressive trophy haul.