France coach Didier Deschamps says he is "excited" to see how N'Golo Kante gets on after the Leicester City midfielder was handed his first call-up to the national squad.
Kante, who turns 25 later this month, has been rewarded for his outstanding performances with Premier League leaders Leicester this season with a place in the France squad for the friendly games against Netherlands and Russia over the next week.
In an interview with kicker, Deschamps lauded the Paris-born player and said he was looking forward to working with him for the first time.
"He's a modern midfielder. He might not be very tall, but he's very useful," Deschamps said. "Kante wins balls, has great transition play, can be found everywhere, and always has solutions.
"He's a box-to-box player, like they say in England. He wasn't really in focus at his old clubs Boulogne and Caen, even though he was very strong there already.
"I am excited to see what he does at the national team, and how he fits into the new environment."
Kante will be eager to stake a claim for a berth in the 23-man France squad for Euro 2016 after snubbing overtures from Mali, but admits he didn't see the call up coming.
"The rise has been quick. I've seen new experiences and new challenges every year. I take them step by step," Kante told the official website of the French Football Federation (FFF).
"I will give my best and then we'll see what happens. When I saw my name on the list, it was gratifying. I couldn't see it coming. I was happy.
"I thought mainly of my journey. Today I've reached that level, and it's really satisfying."
One player being touted for a potential return to the France setup, having previously announced his international retirement is Franck Ribery.
Ribery, like Kante a former Boulogne-sur-Mer player, is returning to form with Bayern Munich after lengthy fitness struggles and hinted last week that he may consider a return to the France side for the first time since March 2014.
However, Deschamps played down talk of a return to the fold for a player who will be 33 next month.
"I am pleased to see that Franck has found his smile again, and enjoys playing the game again. But he only played 80 minutes or more in two, three matches, a bit longer against Juventus," Deschamps said.
"Parts of France were happy to hear his words. They made me smile. He only said: 'We'll see.' To me, the Ribery issue currently is not an issue. You should not jump the gun."