Leicester City’s key man Jamie Vardy – Image via leicestermercury.co.uk
From troubled past and problems with police to Premier League glory, life hasn’t been easy on Leicester City sensation Jamie Vardy.
Taking a look at the Premier League top scorers’ list one could hardly resist feeling surprised to see Jamie Vardy leading the way with the likes of Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez and the rest of the Premier League’s household names trailing behind him.
Leicester City’s striker has been in scintillating from this term, blazing through the league with ten goals to his name.
Impressively enough, the 28-year-old English forward has become the 8th player to have scored in seven consecutive games, only the sixth player to do so in the last 20 years, joining the band of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Adebayor and Daniel Sturridge.
Prolific
Singlehandedly leading his team to the doorstep of the top four, Jamie Vardy secured the most recent win for his team, scoring the decisive goal in the 1-0 triumph over Crystal Palace, and proving once again that he is the most lethal striker in England’s top competition, and one of the most prolific across Europe.
To further illustrate his immense influence it must be noted that Vardy’s 10 goals this season make him the third top scorer in Europe behind Dortmund’s Aubameyang and Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich who both stand at 13 goals. Thomas Muller has also netted ten times this season and the two unlikely heroes are sitting high among the best.
In addition to his fantastic goalscoring exploits, Vardy has got some other pretty impressive numbers to boast of. Foxes forward has had more shots on target than any other Premier League striker, and he also created more chances and had more tackles.
When used as the centre forward, instead of being played wide, Jamie Vardy plays to his best, which is an important aspect of his game.
Claudio Ranieri has utilized the English striker to his full potential and should be also credited for the flourishing of the forward who last season bagged only one goal in his 24 Premier League matches.
Does Vardy gets the credit he deserves?
The Leicester City hotshot is not considered the star of the Premier League. With the media fully concentrated on the biggest clubs and their key players, the spotlight is not the brightest on Jamie Vardy.
Undeservedly, but Vardy has went under the radar at the expense of more commercial football figures such as Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay, or even Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Vardy has been recognized by England manager Roy Hodgson though, who holds the 28-year-old in high regard.
Hodgson has awarded him with four caps since the surprising call up at the end of last season, and one might argue that it was the England manager who realized the full potential that was hidden inside this gem of a player who will play an important role in England’s Euro 2016 crusades.
Bad boy
Vardy’s story has a Hollywood potential. His path to stardom has had its rough patches and Vardy himself is not hiding his ghosts in the closet.
Even by his own admission, Foxes’ player was a bad boy when he was younger. Vardy was criminally convicted for assault eight years ago when he got in a fight trying to protect a deaf friend who had been mocked in the street because of his disability.
“I am not proud of what I did, but I stuck up and defended him, which I would always do for a mate and it’s ended up getting me in a bit of a trouble”, Vardy was quoted admitting to his troubled past.
The courts imposed the 6pm curfew which even prevented Vardy from playing for his former non-league team Stocksbridge Park Steels. In order to beat the curfew Vardy would be subbed after 60 minutes upon which he would jump into his parents’ car to make it home in time.
Vardy learned from his mistakes and he claims that his troubles helped him grow mature and have inspired him to be better in every way.
Combative on the field as well, Vardy had to learn about dedication, determination and commitment to the cause the hard way, but he was properly rewarded.
His path from Stockbridge Park Steels across Fc Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town to Leicester City and England national team has been long but a rewarding one.
What does the future holds for Vardy?
Liverpool, Tottenham or Real Madrid even?
Reports in Spain claim that the Spanish giants are considering a move for Leicester City’s sensation. With a move that would be considered a proper sensation itself, the Spanish media outlet As claim that Vardy is considered by Rafa Benitez as competition for Karim Benzema.
Los Blancos are thought to be preparing a January move for one of the revelations of the season, willing to take the Leicester’s man at the peak of his powers. Claudio Ranieri was quick to dismiss such rumours though, insisting none of his players will leave in January.
He shouldn’t worry as Vardy is unlikely to be distraught by such speculation. For a player who was spending his weekends at non-football leagues until 2012, he is surprisingly unfazed by the sudden turn of the spotlight.
It seems as if his rough life has thought him to know better than that.
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