N'Golo Kante received a standing ovation from Chelsea fans as he drove away in his Mini

N'Golo Kante received not one but TWO standing ovations from Chelsea fans following his stunning showing against Liverpool on Tuesday.

Kante returned to the starting XI having missed a majority of the season through injury, but he showed what Chelsea have been missing in the middle of the park.

He produced a brilliantly-composed performance in the engine room of the pitch before being replaced by Conor Gallagher in the 69th minute.

The Stamford Bridge faithful applauded him off the pitch, with fans also giving him a rousing reception when he left the stadium after the game.

Supporters waited for the diminutive midfielder following the match as they gave him a standing ovation after he drove away in his Mini.

Chelsea fans online loved Kante's modest vehicle and praised his showing against Jurgen Klopp's team.

One Twitter user wrote: "He’s such a ledge."

A second tweeted: "What a player."

A third added: "I love that man."

A fourth said: "He was outstanding honestly. 32 years old and playing like he was at his peak."

Another commented: "Kante is an absolute joy, I almost forgot how good he was at winning possession and then laying off perfectly weighted forward passes. He is incredible."

N'Golo Kante in action for Chelsea. Image: Alamy

Kante got a solid 69 minutes under his belt in view to playing more regularly this season.

And Jamie Carragher believes the Frenchman shocked Liverpool as he spoke glowingly about his outing.

"It was almost as if some of the Liverpool players forgot who N’Golo Kante was and how good he is," he said on Sky Sports.

"You don’t try and take him on or better him physically. You just need to stay away from him really. Two or three times Liverpool players tried to take him on.

"He’s been out for so long that some of the Liverpool players seemed to forget what N’Golo Kante is all about."

The 32-year-old has played just three games in all competitions this season, but Bruno Saltor, as well as the club's next manager, will be hoping to have him available for the rest of the campaign.