Nampalys Mendy football career is as colorful as that of his look-alike, Claude Makelele when it comes to skills. The Senegalese international rose through the ranks playing for many clubs before reaching the top with teams like Leicester and the Senagalese National team.
The French-born midfielder for Leicester once played for the French youth teams before switching allegiance to play for his country of origin Senegal. Despite his differences in appearance and age from former french national Makelele, the iconic players have always been compared side by side.
The reason for these comparisons and all the interesting details about Nampalys Mendy is going to be revealed to you.
Who Is Nampalys Mendy?
He is a defensive midfielder for the premier league club, Leicester FC, and the Senegalese national team. Popularly known as Papy Mendy, some refer to him as ‘grandpa’ fondly, he has worked from an early age to attain the spot he enjoys now.
The defender was born on June 23, 1992, in le Seyne-sur-Mer, Toulon, France. He is a parent to one child but he has not revealed details about other members of his immediate family.
Nampalys Mendy and Makelele are Carbon Copies
The defender stands on a height of 1.67m and may not have a physical build like the former French player Makelele yet his raw talent was first expressed by scouts. One of such is Monaco club scout, Didier Christophe who first made the impression that the young Mendy was a carbon copy of Makelele.
At the time, it sounded like a prediction of the football skills that the shorter and talented defender had in store. Makelele played as a defensive midfielder for top clubs like Real Madrid and Chelsea before he retired.
He redefined the position in English football which is sometimes called the ‘Makelele role’ in which one sacrifices personal glory for the good of the team.
Papy Mendy is skillful in the distribution of ball while maintaining resilience and good eye-opening performance. Many claim that his rise in the club has made many forget former legends like Kante and Riyad Mahrez. At the rate Papy is going he may as well become one of the greatest midfielders one day.
Here Are All The Fascinating Details About Nampalys Mendy You Never knew
1. How Old is He?
Nampalys Mendy is currently 32 years old.
See Also: Edouard Mendy: 7 Facts About The Goalie And How He Almost Left Football
2. His Football Career Started In France
He was interested in football right from a young age and he enrolled in youth careers to build his dream of becoming a star. His first side was the La Beaucaire Toulon before he later moved to Toulon Le Las in 1999.
It was while at sporting Toulon that many scouts started noticing him. He started his senior football career at Monaco B side. Mendy was instrumental in the team’s Ligue 2 win in 2013, yet he left the side after his contract expired.
He was a supporter of Manchester United from an early age but he rejected the offer to move to the English club when an offer was made preferring to stay in France.
Mendy decided to move to Nice under a free transfer after talking with Claude Puel of Nice. While at Nice, he made records of the highest passes behind players like Thiago Motta.
He later moved to Leicester City in 2016 where he is still playing for the premier league team.
3. Papy Debuted For the French Youth Teams in 2009
Mendy started playing for France in the lower categories and became a well-known player. He debuted in the under-18 team in a friendly match against Denmark in 2009. Throughout his stay with the Youth teams, he played for the under-17, under-18, and under-19
He impressed coach Guy Lacombe of Monaco with his stellar performance at the Sendai Cup in Japan. Lacombe convinced the French coach, Phillippe Bergeroo to make Mendy a permanent member of the squad.
His debut for the under-19 side in the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
4. Why Did He Push the Lions of Teranga
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His stellar performance with the French team did not go unnoticed by other teams. Mendy played for the French under-21 team in 2010 in a match against Russia.
He was later called up to the Senegal national team also known as the Lions of Teranga for the first time in March 2021. There have been many rumors in the past that he used to reject offers to represent Senegal.
However, the defender has cleared these rumors by stating that he has never pushed Senegal away. He did not represent the Lions only because he was never invited.
5. Nampalys Mendy Wanted to Leave Leicester City
Due to the little playtime he was getting at Leicester City, the midfielder started making the moves to leave the club. His first signing to the club was for £13 million in 2016 and he wears a jersey with the number 24.
At the time there was a great expectation that he will aid the club in retaining its championship victory. Yet in his debut match, Mendy suffered an ankle match that kept him away for three months.
As his playtime reduced, Mendy wished to leave the club. As it is it didn’t materialize since he was later loaned to his former club, Nice. Mendy also signed a two-year contract extension with the club in 2020 and interestingly, he was left out of the team’s final squad for the 2021-22 season.
6. Nampalys Mendy is One of the Many Mendy’s in Football
Looking at the lineup of players like Benjamin Mendy, Edouard Mendy, Alexander, and Papy Mendy, there may be a mixup of names and score sheets. Yet all have their separate career paths with only two that are actually related. These are Nampalys Mendy and Alexander Mendy.
Most of Mendy’s share a common ancestry to Senegal and some have played for the home country while others are yet to be called up.
Alexander Mendy and his cousin, Papy were both born in France and made their way to the top through the various youth programs that they attended. He is yet to be capped at the international level like Papy.
7. He Almost Didn’t Make it to Afcon 2021
Papy Mendy made the list of those to turn up to defend the Senegalese national team at Afcon 2021. He almost missed the action on the field after he tested positive to Covid 19 alongside others on the national team.
Despite the early setback, he later made it to join other teammates that had been cleared and stationed in Cameroon. Mendy played the full 90 minutes that secured the team’s place to reach the quarter-finals.
He remains Leicester’s last remaining player in the Afcon tournament at Cameroon.
8. His Cousins Are Also Footballers
The stellar player is not the only one to make his family proud. There are two others from his family that is making names for themselves in the world of football.
Apart from Alexander Mendy, the Caen forward, Papy Mendy has another cousin Bafetimbi Gomis who last played for Saudi club, Al-Hilal as a striker. His other cousins that were footballers include Remi Gomis and Honore Gomis of Menemenspor.
9. He is an Honored Footballer
The French and Senegal player has set a standard that has made many compare him to many football greats. Despite this, he keeps improving his game. Nampalys Mendy is an honored footballer with many appearances.
His many honors include:
Club
- Monaco- Ligue 2:2012-13
- Leicester City- English FA Cup Winner 2020-21
10. How Much is Nampalys Net Worth?
Mendy has a net worth of 16 million pounds which he made from his football career. His transfer to Leichester in 2016 was signed for £13 million which made it the highest for the club at that time till Ahmed Musa and others toppled the record.
At the moment, he has not revealed how he spends his money, yet, he lives and works in the UK.
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