Joe Cole heaps praise on N'Golo Kante after display against Lille

Joe Cole has lauded N'Golo Kante after the Frenchman scooped another Man of the Match award following Chelsea's 2-0 win over Lille in the Champions League.

Kante, 30, has made a habit of delivering for the Blues in knockout football and made his mark again on Tuesday night, dominating his midfield battle against Renato Sanches to hand his side a crucial advantage ahead of their last-16 second leg.

The Frenchman was particularly instrumental in Chelsea's second goal of the night, driving through the middle of the pitch with the ball before setting Christian Pulisic up to score beyond Leonardo.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel said he was 'very pleased' with Kante's performance after the 30-year-old had 'struggled with belief' in recent weeks.

Now, Cole has praised the 'outstanding' midfielder, insisting that his influence in the Premier League has been unmatched in the past 10 years. 

'He was outstanding, so many times we have seen him in Champions League nights where he has driven the team forward,' he said on BT Sport.   

'Honesty from a football manager should be a given but so many of them get so protective of their team. 

'He has clear boundaries with his players, he probably thought Kante was slightly off it the last two games and he was happy he was on it tonight.

'I don’t think there is a midfielder as influential as him in our league for the last 10 years. Everything he does… when he plays well you win.'

Meanwhile, Eni Aluko said Kante can afford to have a rare off day because he regularly puts in 'nine-out-of-ten' performances. 

'He is so important to the balance of Chelsea and he is the motor of the team,' she said. 'He played a lot of long balls today, he can mix it up long and short and he is the complete player.