Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has claimed that it was "not easy" for N'Golo Kante to claim eighth place in the Ballon d'Or standings.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the accolade for the fifth time in his career, but Kante was the highest-placed Premier League player in the listings.
Kante finished above teammate Eden Hazard, and Conte has admitted that he is "proud" of the defensive midfielder for finishing inside the top 10.
The 48-year-old told reporters: "To finish eighth in the Ballon d'Or table for a player like Kante, with his type of characteristics, it's not simple, it's not easy. To finish eighth for N'Golo is a great result.
"I'm proud for him with this great result. All the people understood the capacity of this player. He's a fantastic player. For me in his role he's one of the best in the world."
Conte has said that Hazard must start to win more trophies with Chelsea in order to finish higher than 19th position.
Darren Plant
