JUST when you thought the book was written, Jamie Vardy is etching another chapter in his fairytale career.
As Claude Puel’s Leicester City reign petered last season and Vardy’s powers appeared to wane, it seemed the striker was on course to see out his final playing years, having risen from non-league level to become a Premier League champion, as a serviceable-if-not-spectacular top-flight centre-forward.
Now, though, at 32 years of age, Vardy is in the form of his storied career as the Foxes, under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, are once again emerging as major players at the sharp end of the table.
Jamie Vardy 2019/20: A Short Story pic.twitter.com/YMBD93IqIC
— Leicester City (@LCFC) December 11, 2019
Between the start of last season and Puel’s sacking on 24 February, Vardy scored just eight Premier League goals. Rodgers was appointed two days later and the former England striker netted 10 times in the remaining 11 league games of the campaign.
And Vardy has continued in that impressive vein this term. His brace against Aston Villa on Sunday took high tally for the season to 16 goals from 16 games, extending his lead in the race for the Golden Boot to take him five goals clear of Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal in joint-second place.
Even before poor results condemned his time as Leicester manager, Puel’s cautious playing style made him an unpopular figure. The drab football the Frenchman purveyed was in direct opposition to the stylistic needs of Vardy, his best player. Opinion over Rodgers’ ceiling as a manager has not always been unanimous, but the fact the Northern Irishman places a great emphasis on delivering an eye-catching, free-flowing style of football is undeniable.
“He's an incredible talent who has all the attributes that big teams look for in their profile of a striker – fast and hard working,” Rodgers said of Vardy following the Villa Park victory. “Through all my days, that's the profile of player I like too. Coming into here, I knew he was one of the best in Europe, and it was a case of giving him the confidence to show that.
“Sometimes players can get into their early 30s and be written off. But in seeing his energy and speed, it was a case of him fitting into how we wanted to work, which I felt would be fairly easy.”
Almost immediately after Rodgers’ arrival at the King Power, a greater and more diverse degree of creativity was being funnelled towards Vardy. Even in Leicester’s historical, title-winning season of 2014-15 – in which Vardy scored a career-high 24 goals – the Foxes frontman was predominantly utilised in a very specific way, with his pace used to exploit space in behind opposition defences on quick, direct counter-attacks.
25 goals in 26 games under Brendan Rodgers
The Premier League Top scorer with 16 Goals in 16 games played
Jamie Vardy ladies and gentlemen
( EMPICS / PA) pic.twitter.com/y21jRHbZvE— Football Fans Tribe ⚽ (@FansTribeHQ) December 10, 2019
Now, Leicester can hurt their opponents in a magnitude of ways. Despite entering the twilight years of his career, Vardy’s pace remains intact, so – as his double versus Villa attests – the direct approach is still very much on the table. But the quality of delivery from full-backs Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira provides a serious threat from wide; James Maddison, Leicester’s sought-after schemer in the No.10 role, adds imagination in the final third; and the likes of Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet in midfield are capable of splitting defences and feeding the frontline with piecing through-balls.
All of this means Vardy is now serviced more comprehensively than at any time previously in his career. And the 32-year-old is demonstrating why he deserves to be considered among the very best finishers in Europe, confidently dispatching the wide range of chances that fall his way.
“We’ve got a lot of creativity and attacking talent in this squad,” Vardy said. “When we’ve been defending like we have as well it gives the attackers a chance to flourish. I’m confident that I’m going to get a chance and that I’m going to put that chance away.”
Credit for Vardy’s superlative recent form must be given to his intelligence of movement, both in how he conserves his energy – he is less frantic in his off-ball duties these days – and how he seeks scoring opportunities. Though his pace remains a weapon, he is no longer as speed-reliant as he was in the title season; he will still exploit on open acreage in behind, but he has also embraced and mastered the subtlety of penalty-box movement, timing short bursts to perfection and understanding when to pull back from a crowded zone or simply stand still to create space.
Vardy’s international retirement in 2018 seems to have been an important step, too, leaving him able to focus fully on his club duties and sparing him the fatigue of the travel and busier schedule that comes with playing internationally. If he maintains anything like his current scoring rate across the rest of the season, there will be enticing calls for him to reconsider and rejoin England ahead of the European Championships next summer. As appealing as that will be, Vardy must weigh up the thrill of playing in a tournament held partially on home soil against how another summer off could benefit his longevity with Leicester.
Either option could see yet more twists and triumphs added to the story of Vardy’s remarkable rise.
