These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.

Kante’s winning mentality

In an interview with the New York Times, N’Golo Kante has said his primary motivation as a footballer is to win trophies and to enjoy the success with his team-mates.

While the French midfielder has received several individual accolades including the Footballer of the Year award in 2016/17, it is the team prizes he treasures most.

‘My favourite thing is when we lift a trophy,’ he said. ‘Afterward, we can have a picture of us lifting a trophy. And that picture shows a lot of work, a lot of difficulty and a lot of sacrifice together.

‘That is what it takes, to lift a trophy. From one picture, I can have many memories.

‘The biggest satisfaction of all is to win.’

Despite enjoying success with Leicester City and Chelsea over the past four years, the Frenchman said his personality had not changed much since his arrival in the Premier League.

‘I am not a superstar or an ego,’ he said. ‘I am just the same as I always was: Someone who plays football.

‘I have always been discreet in my life but it has never been a problem playing. At first, I was playing in front of 10 people in a park, then 1,000, then 10,000, then 80,000 and you are on television.

‘I have done it step by step, so it is not a problem. There is no lack of confidence to be on the field, in front of many, many people.’

Brown delighted for former Academy team-mates

Izzy Brown has told Goal.com he is proud of the success of his former Chelsea Academy team-mates Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori and has not given up hope on making an impact himself after recovering from knee surgery.

The 22-year-old captained our Under-19s when they won the UEFA Youth League in 2015 with a team that included Abraham, Tomori, Andreas Christensen and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

‘Me, Tammy and Fikayo are close friends and we basically grew up together; we are all '97s. We played [for England’s youth teams] together,’ said Brown, who is on loan at Championship side Luton Town.

‘It’s great to see as everyone used to think Chelsea don’t bring through young players but now Lampard is in charge you are starting to see those players coming through, playing well and Chelsea are winning games.

‘You can’t question that those players are not good enough because they are going out every day and performing. Tammy is the Premier League’s second top scorer. I am happy for him because for the future of Chelsea and for the young players there it’s going to be a good thing that they are doing so well.’

But while he delights in the success of his friends, Brown is determined to make his own mark after recovering from a knee injury he suffered while playing on loan at Brighton in January 2018.

“I am proud of my close friends and I am happy to see them playing in the Premier League but, for me, I am just solely focused on myself,’ he added.

‘In my head, I think I can play in the Premier League. I don't think that's big-headed because I played in the Premier League [in 2013 with West Brom] and I don't think I was outside my limits. I feel, with my injury, I took two steps back when I was on my way up.

‘Now there is a different focus in my mind, which is just football and playing games. So I am not focused on the Premier League at the moment. I just want to try to get myself back to where I was and then once I am there, I will look forward again.’

Hazard explains rejection of PSG

Eden Hazard has told L’Equippe he turned down a number of offers to leave Chelsea to join Paris Saint-Germain because of his loyalty to his former club Lille.

While Hazard left the Blues to join Real Madrid last summer, there had been no shortage of interest in the past from the French champions in his services.

‘They often wanted to recruit me,’ said the Belgian, who joined Chelsea from Lille in 2012. ‘But I did not want to come back to Ligue 1 and to play for a club other than Lille.

‘I always told them no. In my head, it was clear. It's a club that can help you win the Champions League but it was not in my plans.

‘If I come back to Ligue 1, it will be to Lille.’