Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Leonardo Ulloa may be the Leicester heroes grabbing the headlines, but unheralded star Kante has been superb, too.

With Leicester City now firmly holding the English Premiership title, to put it mildly, unexpectedly, I hope Claudio Ranieri will not mind me relaying a little tale.

The Italian had not long been in charge at the King Power Stadium when his head of recruitment, Steve Walsh, came forward with the name of N’Golo Kante, a busy midfielder at French side Caen.

Ranieri, in truth, was not particularly impressed, feeling, amongst other things, that Kante’s diminutive frame would not cope with the bruising rigours of the Premier League.

But fast forward a few weeks after the £5,6 million signing had forced his way into the side and Ranieri was more than happy to eat humble pie.

“Steve, don’t ever listen to me again,” he said to Walsh with a huge grin. “I don’t know what I’m talking about!”

It had, after all, become glaringly obvious by this stage that Kante was quickly becoming a real star.

It was the 24 year-old’s ability to get about the pitch, to close down opponents like a shot, to get his foot in with purpose. Stationed next to another unsung hero in Danny Drinkwater, released to go and play thanks to his partner’s work rate, Kante was absolutely thriving in City’s wonderful start.

And he still is, as proved by another fantastic performance at Swansea where he seemed to cover every blade of grass.

Not only that, some effective attacking surges at the Liberty Stadium revealed a technically gifted type who knows when to keep hold of the ball and when to release it.

There is clearly a good football brain to go with all the energy.

The stats, what’s more, back up this view.

Leicester’s midfield dynamo N’Golo Kante has become the first Premier League player to win 100 tackles this season.

The 24-year-old Frenchman, who has been integral in Leicester’s unexpected title bid, made eight successful tackles in last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Manchester City, taking his tally to 103.

Kante - who is also on the verge of reaching a century of interceptions - is currently seven ahead of Liverpool’s Lucas Leiva in the leaderboard.

Only Lucas has averaged more tackles per 90 minutes than Kante, but has played 351 minutes less in the Premier League than his Leicester adversary.

Kante’s uncompromising enforcement of the midfield will be crucial when the Foxes, who lead the table by five points, head to title rivals Arsenal on Sunday lunchtime.

Later that day, second-placed Tottenham visit fourth-placed Manchester City in another Super Sunday showdown.

Kante was purchased from French club Caen last summer for a £5,6m fee that is already looking like one of the signings of the season.

He has played 28 times across all competitions during his maiden season in England, making an impressive contribution.

In addition to his tackling prowess, Kante has also made 98 interceptions and is sure to reach his century against Arsenal.

He cuts out a pass on average 4,7 times during each match - higher than any other player - and is well clear of Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, who has 86.

Last season in Ligue 1, Kante won the ball back more times than anyone else in the whole of Europe. This term, he has racked up 64 interceptions, leading the pack by 10 in the top flight.

These are marvellous numbers for someone who, in the flesh, looks very young. To prove the point, a member of staff at Leicester’s training ground, seeing the new face hanging around, innocently asked Kante if he was waiting for his mom and dad.

On the contrary, this is a player who needs no babysitting.

A league that has surprised for its pace and intensity totally suits this natural athlete. Dubbed “The Rash” by Drinkwater for his aggressive persistence, Kante has established himself as an integral part of Leicester’s success.

As a result, Gokhan Inler can’t get near the starting eleven just now. The talented Switzerland international of some pedigree finds himself understudy to Kante’s lead role.

So much has rightly been said about Jamie Vardy’s sensational scoring feats, as well as the impressive input of Riyad Mahrez.

Yet Kante, until now, has largely gone unnoticed to most outside Leicester. At one time, even someone inside needed convincing. On this occasion, though, Ranieri was delighted to have got it wrong. - Online