Eight years ago, N'Golo Kante sat in the Chelsea dressing room alongside Olivier Giroud, fresh from winning the World Cup with France, and dropped a bombshell.
"I think I am going to retire from the national team," Kante said.
“Olivier Giroud reveals he convinced N'Golo Kante not to retire from France eight years ago; Kante remains crucial at 35.”
Giroud's response was immediate: "No NG, look, you are top of the world. I can understand why you are saying this, but you need to carry on. You are too young to stop."
Now, at 35, Kante is still pivotal for Les Bleus. Giroud, speaking ahead of a World Cup campaign, insists the midfielder has not changed despite spending recent years in Saudi Arabia and, since February, at Fenerbahce in Turkey.
"NG is NG," Giroud said. "You might have not seen him in the Premier League for a few years ... but he has not changed."
Didier Deschamps' selection policy once meant that playing outside Europe's top leagues was a barrier: Andre-Pierre Gignac, for example, was warned he would not be recalled after moving to Mexico. But Deschamps has evolved, recognising those leagues are stronger now, and he continued to pick Kante while he was in Saudi Arabia because "as long as he is delivering his game, you can always count on him".
Giroud expects Deschamps to start Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot in midfield against Senegal on Tuesday, with Kante on the bench. But with four attackers expected — Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Kylian Mbappe — balance is vital.
"You cannot play a whole World Cup with just two midfielders," Giroud said. "N'Golo always brings that [balance] to every team he plays in."
Even from the bench, Kante's impact will be felt. Giroud recalled playing alongside him: "I used to say we played with 12 men because he can do two jobs. His energy is incredible, and his mentality is contagious. When you see him running everywhere, it gives you some strength to do the same."
Kante's role, Giroud concluded, will be "massively important, especially if we need to hold a lead or defend a result". Eight years after nearly walking away, he remains indispensable.