Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has echoed the rest of Europe's press and English pundits by lavishing praise on teammate N'golo Kante.

The France international has been widely touted for the next Footballer of the Year award in England due to his dominating displays for the Blues this season.

Following his historic league title with Leicester City last season, the diminutive midfielder has proven what a driving force he was at the Foxes as they languish in the bottom half of the standings - while his new side looks likely to romp the Premier League title.

And while consecutive titles would be an impressive feat for Kante, it's his all round ability that has now been lauded - after a match-winning display in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United on Monday evening.

"N'Golo has been fantastic. His performance level is right up there," Cahill told BBC Football. "You saw what he did last season but he has kicked on again this season.

"He is a humble guy off the pitch and works hard. He is so important, especially to us at the back. He's been a tremendous addition to the squad."

Kante has featured 30 times for Chelsea this season, as they remain on course for a domestic double.