Former Leicester defender Cedric Kipre says N’Golo Kante let him and his brother stay with him for a month when he had an issue with his apartment.
Kipre joined the Foxes from Paris Saint-Germain in 2014 as a teenager, a year before fellow Frenchman Kante arrived from Caen.
He featured for the club’s youth sides without ever breaking into the first team but, when he had problems in his personal life, it was Kante who stepped in to help.
“I lived at N’Golo’s house for a month when I was at Leicester,” Kipre told Goal. “I had a problem with my apartment and he hosted my brother and me. Not everyone would have done it, and it was really nice of him.
“Today, I'm proud to have met someone like him. There is nobody more humble than N'Golo."
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Kipre spent time out on loan in 2015 before moving on permanently to Motherwell in 2017, but he was part of the Leicester set-up when they won the Premier League in 2016, sometimes training with Claudio Ranieri’s first team.
"It was unbelievable,” he said. “Something crazy. The atmosphere was fantastic! Even the players hadn't seen it coming.
“It was really beautiful. The day of the title, I was in the stadium behind the substitutes' bench. I was filming everything with my phone, I wanted to keep memories."
Born in Paris, Kipre came through the youth academy at PSG and admits it was painful to have to leave the club as a youngster.
"I love this club and when I didn’t return to the academy and I saw everyone returning, it hurt me,” he said.
“I saw all my friends leave. Moussa (Dembele), Dylan Batubinsika, James (Lea Siliki), but now, when I have time, I watch PSG games. They are the club of my heart, the club of my whole family. I support them like crazy!”
After leaving Paris, Kipre went to Leicester’s youth team before moving on to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership. He impressed in his single season north of the border, and returned to English football in August 2018 in a £1 million ($1.25m) move to Wigan Athletic of the Championship.
