Jamie Vardy has lifted the lid on a remarkable piece of football history, revealing that his former Leicester City teammate N'Golo Kante came close to representing Mali rather than France at international level.

Speaking on his podcast, Jamie Vardy's Having A Party, the former England striker said Kante was driven by a desire to honour his father's heritage and wear the jersey of Mali's Eagles.

Teammates talked Kante out of it

Vardy recalled that it was the players at Leicester City's training ground who ultimately steered Kante toward France, persuading him that Les Bleus offered a far greater chance of winning major honours.