I started with the kids, just giving them something to do during the day, and then I went a bit overboard, getting stuff in from Amazon. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Vardy's is to sprint into the space between centre-back and full-back on to quick, early passes. He joined The Athletic as a Senior Writer in 2019. "I was training twice a week on a miserable, cold night," explains Vardy. He's had time to take it all in. It is easy to forget that Vardy is 33 now, mainly because there is no sign whatsoever that age is creeping up on him. The 34-year-old striker, who has. Or, to put it another way, as many as Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling put together. 'It's never easy. The 40-year-old wife of Jamie Vardy has given her first interview since last week's verdict. The Premier League 60: No 41, Jamie Vardy. Jamie Vardy In depth interview with portrait. My phone was just vibrating in my pocket constantly. A former professional footballer with Swindon Town, Stuart James went onto spend 15 years working for The Guardian, where he reported on far too many relegation battles to mention, one miraculous Premier League title triumph and a couple of World Cups. I also think for myself, and the club as a whole, the years experience last season has done us the world of good. Tomatoes, raspberry plants, blackberries. Honestly, when did he first start thinking about scoring 100 Premier League goals? I think youd want to get it as early as possible anyway, Vardy says. One of the greatest strikers the Premier League has ever seen, Vardy has made a career from defying expectations. But thats me, Ill pick a team at the start of the season and then leave it. When I asked him a couple of years ago whether he had given any thought to trying to score 100 Premier League goals, he genuinely had no idea how many he was on (63 was the answer). When he has figured this season, Vardy has cut a frustrated figure, not quite able to outrun defenders as in his best days. While Vardy jokes that he'd "probably still gamble" on winning a flick-on from the likes of Musa or Shinji Okazaki as well as Slimani and Leonardo Ulloa, they are all very different strike partners. People come, people go. Rodgers loves the threat that Vardy gives Leicester. AFP 6 Shes such a calming influence, Vardy says. The 40-year-old WAG sued Coleen Rooney, 36, for libel after Wayne Rooney's wife . That must mean something assuming he watched Fowler back in the day? Its not a bad feat. It is rare to hear Vardy take a moment to enjoy an achievement of his own. Leicester, who are on course to qualify for the Champions League next season as football resumes this week, have reaped the rewards of that decision, too. When I asked him a couple of years ago whether he had given any thought to trying to score 100 Premier League goals, he genuinely had no idea how many he was on (63 was the answer). There is a Bentley parked outside, a goalscoring record that has stood for 83 years in his sights and a place in that England squad firmly within his grasp. Asked what they would say if I quizzed them on what hes like in the changing room, Vardy replies: A loud, cocky shit., He shrugs his shoulders and smiles. Both underdogs, both not making it the easy way, both with their flaws, and both with a winning mindset and mentality.Here, in part one, Ant and Jamie talk about setbacks, perseverance, and how to perform at the elite level, whether youre firing guns or scoring goals.Part Two: https://youtu.be/6VvmT-HK3ScMen's Health UKTrusted guidance for men passionate about their health, fitness and mental wellbeing. Thats still what I have to do nowadays. After telling him there was no need to sign up for anything when I clicked on the link, I ask why he didnt get in touch with the club and request a login. Jamie Richard Vardy, Plays forLeicester City, Fleetwood Town, Halifax Town, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Sheffield Wednesday if(["rgb(17, 17, 17)", "rgb(0, 0, 0)"].indexOf(getComputedStyle(document.body).backgroundColor) != -1) {var x = document.querySelectorAll("#ath_table_746571 .ia-hlt");for (var i = 0; i < x.length; i++) {x[i].classList.add("dark-mode");}}var all_table_images = document.querySelectorAll("#ath_table_746571 img"); for (var i = 0; i < all_table_images.length; i++) {all_table_images[i].removeAttribute("onclick")};var link = document.createElement("link");link.rel = "stylesheet";link.type = "text/css";link.href = "https://use.typekit.net/cuz4pky.css";document.getElementsByTagName("HEAD")[0].appendChild(link);var link = document.createElement("link");link.rel = "stylesheet";link.type = "text/css";link.href = "https://use.typekit.net/dtk6elt.css";document.getElementsByTagName("HEAD")[0].appendChild(link);var link = document.createElement("link");link.rel = "stylesheet";link.type = "text/css";link.href = "https://theathletic.com/app/themes/athletic/assets/css/tables.css";document.getElementsByTagName("HEAD")[0].appendChild(link); On that note, there is one last stat to run by him. That's what we said from the start. That has left Rodgers with a conundrum. They're different in every single league across Europe. We were saying before the game, We need to win. Vardy pauses for a moment and chuckles as he finds a silver lining. They are the little aspects we've got to be wary of but it's enjoyable. "I've had a chance to reflect on it all," he tells Sky Sports. Iheanacho's top asset is to drop deep, combine with Maddison and use his vision to release Leicester's wide players. West Brom again, the year we stayed up (in 2015). Yeah, I joined a league. You dont want to be stuck on it for a few games, like the cricketer who is on 99 not out for 20 balls.. Ive seen loads of him, the goals that he scored. The latter trait has always been Vardy's forte and while he is still one of Leicester's quickest players, the pace is not as deadly nowadays. It wasnt in my head before the game. He has another season after this on his Leicester contract and even though he has bought a stake in a US football franchise, the relaunched Rochester New York FC, there are no retirement plans. If I went and did a half-marathon it probably wouldn't." Finish it off the way that we want to and its been a great season.. Jamie Vardy's trajectory shows value of working hard and not giving up Vardy, in contrast, never lost a minutes sleep thinking about the chance he squandered to finish as the Premier Leagues joint-top scorer when Leicester won the title in 2016. . Jamie Vardy, Leicester City's greatest-ever player, and Premier League icon, is describing his garden and the pleasure he takes in planting, digging and harvesting with his children. Find out more, Vardy has started the season with two goals three games, Vardy, a Lego fan, playing with his son Finley a far cry from his hellraising style on the pitch, Goal-hungry like the wolf: Vardy's celebration after his opening goal of the season, Chelsea vs Leeds United, Premier League live: Score and latest updates from Stamford Bridge, Arsenal vs Bournemouth, Premier League live: Score and latest updates from 3pm kick-offs, Erik ten Hag summons Ferguson as Man Utd try to knock Liverpool off perch again, Manchester City vs Newcastle live: score and latest updates from the Premier League, Moises Caicedo contract will not stop Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool interest, Losing to Leeds put Thomas Tuchel in a tailspin Graham Potter cant afford same fate. Surely sometime soon he will become king of the 30-something goalscorers, and at the current rate he might get there before the harvest season begins in earnest in his back garden. As a Premier League player, those lengths of the pitch are a thing of the past. Skipper. Yeah., Do you make yourself captain? Such a routine wasn't ideal but it does partially explain Vardy's exponential improvement since then. I just like a laugh and a joke.. One a year. Its not my strong foot, is it? Vardy replies. Does he ever leave himself out? We have to win, otherwise, there is no chance of us staying up. But it's all been good. After Dunne comes Stan Mortensen, who scored in 15 consecutive appearances for Blackpool in the 1950-51 season, although on two separate occasions during that run he missed games through injury. "There's no vodka anymore. After scoring twice against Aston Villa in the last game before lockdown, Vardy moved onto 99, which means his 100th Premier League goal will almost certainly come behind closed doors. 111. I should press when we know weve got a chance of winning the ball. Jamie Vardy's Pre-Match Diet Is Still Next Level - SPORTbible How many of his 99 goals does he think have come against the big six clubs? Jamie Richard Vardy ( n Gill; born 11 January 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Leicester City. Wrights post-30 goals record is 93. He is the complete opposite of somebody like Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was so obsessed with winning the Golden Boot every season that one of his first thoughts after a game was to see whether any of his rivals for it had scored. Lancashire Police said his death was "not being treated. Although Vardy would happily brush over all the talk about being on the verge of scoring a landmark goal and joining an exclusive club, it is an achievement that deserves more attention than that. All the numbers suggest otherwise. It was an incredible moment for the team and the city. It's been quite a year for the Leicester - and now England - striker. Youre not going to if youre on your own. Everything is growing in there, he says. Shes changed me. We dive a little deeper into the life of a man who retains a remarkable sharpness, given the occasionally dubious refuelling habits of previous years. There is a photo of him playing for Stocksbridge Park Steels against Kidsgrove in 2008 and, as he wheels away to celebrate with one finger held to his lips, theres not a supporter in sight. Knowing him, he probably just wants to get it all over and done with and move on. Nah, theres just a cameraman there, Vardy says, grinning. A lot of them., So a third of them, says Vardy. But there are a lot of really good, young England forwards out there and theyd benefit more just say if I was there getting picked, Im taking one of their places. He talks about the values instilled at their local primary school and also the conversations he has had with Becky about bringing their children up the right way. The potatoes have just been dug up and brought inside. "So hopefully the legs will hold up. West Brom again, the year we stayed up (in 2015). And I dont score many decent goals like that, if Im honest, so thats up there in my three., A stunning goal in a memorable season for @LCFC#PL #GoalOfTheDay @vardy7 pic.twitter.com/C5I5y7c0e9, Premier League (@premierleague) December 20, 2019, Next? For his part, Vardy is the third-highest scorer in Leicester's history and has defied the odds so many times. The rest of the time he is a different character. I didnt even try to look on Saturday night, he says. By Stuart James. Yeah. It seems to work. He is entitled to wonder why Leicester are not making better use of him. I tell Vardy that Im busy with children too, but I still watched the goals. If he is disheartened at the current situation, it is understandable. Listening to Vardy rowing back over his story it is hard not to smile at how much his world has been turned upside down. Nothing can taint his legacy at Leicester. To be honest with you, that shows in my performances, that Im in a happy place, knowing that Im doing the job that I love., The Leicester striker explains why his signed record-breaking shirt is staying in the wardrobe, how his fiancee has changed his life and why he is relieved not to be on the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist, Leicesters Jamie Vardy sets up academy to help non-league talent, Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Kevin Phillips, his former striker coach at Leicester, played in the Premier League at 40 let alone 30, and it's not lost on Vardy that Phillips was playing for non-league Baldock Town in the eighth tier at the age of 21. To have scored 99 goals in 202 Premier League games, at an average of one every 166 minutes, is phenomenal. Does he have a celebration in mind? Alonso fastest from Red Bulls in final Bahrain practice LIVE! In an in-depth interview with Sky Sports as part of their 'Making it . Yeah. Im a lot different but Ive still got that (old) me in me, he says, casting his mind back to the afternoon when he scored that first Premier League goal against Manchester United to gauge his development. But when I take one step over that white line, Im just someone else., Although wiser as well as older when it comes to how he chooses to live his life away from the game now, he is still the same person around his team-mates. Whats the point? he says. Jamie Vardy is making up for lost time. Leading from the front.. A relegation six-pointer at Southampton feels like the ideal time to do so. At 34, the Leicester City striker is still razor sharp in front of goal - even if he now cuts a much more relaxed figure at home, Leeks, corn, sweet peas, plus the pumpkins are getting ready because Halloween is coming and the kids pick their own from the garden. Its whatever they want to do as they get older. Before, Id have probably sprinted from right-back to left-back and back across again, which is just burning energy up for no reason. He's embracing Champions League football for the first time now too. Im killing myself here because its another left-footed strike! Vardy says, breaking into laughter. You have doubts? Jamie Vardy has paid tribute to outgoing Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel following his transfer to French side Nice. Rebekah Vardy speaks for first time since losing Wagatha Christie Jamie Vardy News Vardy, it is worth remembering, was still playing non-League football at the age of 25 and didnt make his first top-flight appearance until he was 27. So, I think really she was hinting thats the next purchase!, Meanwhile, Sofias dad has started the season with two goals in three games. But its not a normal situation that the whole world finds itself in. Im 34 and he has just got to his 20s. I managed to take it around the keeper and nick it in to get us a draw.. So, like, when Im at football, its opposite to how I am here. I have deffo still got that desire but as for looking that far in the future, who knows? It gives them that little sense of life. Leicester City man opens up about being 'out in cold' as Foxes prepare The Red Devils | Leicester City 5. He tears across the turf chasing lost causes and is one of those rare players blessed with stamina as well as searing pace. Knowing him, he probably just wants to get it all over and done with and move on. Vardy has had his problems in the past, including an unsavoury incident in the summer, which he deeply regrets and apologised unreservedly for after he was caught making a racist remark in a casino, but he is determined to stay on the right path now. It took a 27-year-old Vardy all of three games to open his Premier League account by scoring Leicester's fourth goal in a dramatic 5-3 win against United. Rodgers knows today's Vardy is not the player he inherited when he became Leicester manager four years ago, and who was the Premier League's top scorer in Rodgers' first full season. It's all specifically tailored for me. , Congrats, @vardy7! It's just something I did when I was younger. Vardy also has another daughter, Ella, from a previous relationship. "Hopefully they've not taken as much time as Premier League teams to watch us, so we might be able to spring one or two more surprises," he says. Jamie Vardy calls time on England career in talks with Gareth Southgate Rightly so, thats up there. Does he have a celebration in mind? People come, people go. Jamie Vardy's incredible Leicester City career - 90min Talking from his home in Lincolnshire for more than an hour, he has been contemplating the prospect of scoring his 100th Premier League goal in between admiring his allotment. Im just a normal person at the end of the day. He is no longer first choice, either, with boss Brendan Rodgers relying on Kelechi Iheanacho as his main striker. As for Vardy's personal ambitions, longevity is the goal. Following the news that Schmeichel's move had been finalised on Wednesday, the Leicester striker wrote on Instagram : "Kasper, it's been a pleasure mate. Let me have a look what youve sent in. You see the season weve had up until now, its been pretty good, he says. I left it all until Sunday morning and then worked my way through everything, which is not easy when youve got Twitter, WhatsApp, text messages, Instagram, etc. Whereas if Ive seen it late and (Im) trying to be a bit too quick, it goes over the stand.. Jamie Vardy has all but retired from playing for England after informing Gareth Southgate he believes the time is right to focus solely on club football. You only gave me three choices! Vardy says. Yet he comes across as fiercely proud of his roots Thats made me the person I am and says that the former Fleetwood team-mate who described him as someone who doesnt care whether hes on two grand or two quid was spot on. Im like, Mate, you see this one when she said youre right, and this one when she said youre right? But at any time I think its good to have that threat up top because anything can happen it can be a Kasper (Schmeichel) long ball and its a goal in four seconds or, like I said, its keeping players away so that one of the other lads scores when weve just built the play up.. Vardy won the last of his 26 caps in the World Cup semi-final against Croatia two years ago, before telling Gareth Southgate he felt the time was right for him to focus more on club football. Id say, T (Taylor, Vardys 10-year-old son), have you done your maths? By his own admission, he didnt cope particularly well with the demands of professional football in his first season at Leicester and ended up searching for answers in all the wrong places mostly nightclubs. Ranieri knows, however, that Vardys background noise is a small price to pay for a man who has scored 14 league goals this season. Lets just see how it goes and focus on winning games., Assuming Vardy gets a goal between now and the end of the season, he will have scored 100 in fewer games than it took Romelu Lukaku, Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Jermain Defoe, among others. films, revealed that he was exploring plans to make Vardys rags-to-riches tale into a Hollywood movie. But what about the goal against West Ham at home, in the title-winning season, when he arrowed the ball into the far corner with his left foot? Teams are more wary of what we're about now. No. Vardy pauses for a moment and chuckles as he finds a silver lining. I stole the ball on the halfway line and just carried on running and then managed to get it in the far corner. There is a photo of him playing for Stocksbridge Park Steels against Kidsgrove in 2008 and, as he wheels away to celebrate with one finger held to his lips, theres not a supporter in sight. Again. Their wedding takes place in May, which is earlier than originally planned because of the possibility that Vardy will be in Englands squad for the European Championship finals. Jamie Vardy's wife said she pressed on with legal action . As always you can unsubscribe at any time. That must mean something assuming he watched Fowler back in the day? But with the team having overachieved so sensationally last term, it should be little cause for alarm. I stole the ball on the halfway line and just carried on running and then managed to get it in the far corner. Stocksbridge Park Steels, the non-league club where Vardy rebuilt his career after rejection by Sheffield Wednesday at the age of 16, plan to name a 450-seater stand after him. After agreeing to differ, we move on to the third goal and Vardy has walked right into this one. Hell do. We'll try to reach that target and keep going from there.". For example, if theres a packet of crisps, youre going to eat them. And I dont score many decent goals like that, if Im honest, so thats up there in my three., A stunning goal in a memorable season for @LCFC#PL #GoalOfTheDay @vardy7 pic.twitter.com/C5I5y7c0e9, Premier League (@premierleague) December 20, 2019, Next? Jamie Vardy interview: Teaching maths, growing veg and celebrating goal 100. A replacement gets signed., The bottom line is that Vardy has always felt happy and fulfilled at Leicester and, as things stand, it is hard to argue with his thinking. Jamie Vardy was taken away from his post match interview with BT Sport by Kasper Schmeichel so he could join in Leicester City's FA Cup winning celebrations. Thats just football. Last week, Rebekah Vardy lost a libel battle against Coleen Rooney over a viral social media post, after a High Court judge found it was "substantially true." Hes like, Yeah. I started with the kids, just giving them something to do during the day, and then I went a bit overboard, getting stuff in from Amazon. Tom Collomosse For Mailonline. One a year. Making sure you eat the right things and you are recovering right, he says, you have got to just prepare for each game like its your last. That was ages ago. Hes got me playing slightly differently, Vardy says. But Ive definitely benefitted from getting a full summer, relaxing, just completely clearing your head. When he finished that season with an international call-up, many thought his first England cap would also be his last. His landmark goal against United came almost four years to the day since he scored in front of 768 people at Gateshead. I can remember that, Vardy says. It is a measure of how much his attitude towards fitness has changed that he has a cryotherapy chamber at home to aid his recovery between training and matches. ?? But Vardy is a proud man and it is hard to imagine him wanting to end a glorious Foxes career in the shadows. It seems a little surprising he didnt pick his record-breaking goal against Manchester United in November 2015, when he became the first player to score in 11 successive Premier League games. Vardy is part of the furniture at the club now it is eight years since they paid non-League Fleetwood ?1 million for him in what must go down as one of the best pieces of transfer business in modern times and hard to picture him playing for any other club. While centre-back Maguire was engaging in a sit-down interview with the national press on Friday, Vardy piped up with a question of his own. 'When I came here in 2019 people were writing him off and we've had a fantastic few years out of him. Jamie Vardy interview: 'Winning the FA Cup with Leicester would be the I still do Lego now. He texted me when I got the call up in May, saying: No pressure, one game, one goal! says Vardy, chuckling. ", Some of the tastier morsels in Vardy's book reference his habit of sipping port on the night before matches and an earlier penchant for drinking skittles vodka. Weve never totally closed the door, we made that clear, Vardy says. No. Reel off facts and figures concerning his scoring record and you get the impression he would rather go back to discussing pak choi than hear he has a better minutes-per-goal ratio than Robbie Fowler. I was like: Oh for Gods sake. Someone will be bringing that up soon., Vardy, to be clear, is not complaining. Thats just me. Cringing as he relives the moment, Vardy clears things up. The main part is pressing-wise. Ive had to do that on more than one occasion.. We know weve got to finish it off. I was like, Ive not got time for that.. The celebration that followed that goal was full of raw emotion, although it was difficult to know exactly what Vardy was shouting as he wheeled away. Vardy could have made it to League level slightly earlier had a bid from Ian Holloway's Blackpool been accepted following a third-round FA Cup tie between the Fylde coast clubs in 2012, but . To have scored 99 goals in 202 Premier League games, at an average of one every 166 minutes, is phenomenal. "There was a bit of time in the summer when I got the opportunity to relax and think about what's happened. Billy, the French bulldog, hes sprinting in front of me. I hate wearing a suit.. Billy, the French bulldog, hes sprinting in front of me. Given that plenty of others have moved on from Leicester during that time Harry Maguire, NGolo Kante, Mahrez and Danny Drinkwater spring to mind you wonder whether Vardy, who had a chance to join Arsenal in 2016, ever looks at those players and wonders what might have been. Can Vardy sense that too when hes playing? Maths was his favourite subject at school by a distance and, according to Vardy, he was flying when it came to teaching decimals and fractions to his children during lockdown. Rebekah Vardy praises 'stressed' husband Jamie after fans slam - mirror Rodgers even talked about the gasp in the crowd from opposition fans when Vardy breaks clear and the sense that people know that if hes away, its virtually going to be a goal. Weve never totally closed the door, we made that clear, Vardy says. He insists the reality isn't quite so shocking. The attention might be constant. Only a fool would take the risk of writing off Jamie Vardy. But he must know that defenders hate coming up against pace more than anything else? Even after that title-winning season, pundit and former striker Michael Owen said Vardy wasnt a natural finisher. Famously, of course, those younger days were spent playing non-league football having been released by Sheffield Wednesday. He joined The Athletic as a Senior Writer in 2019. Thats not to say that Vardy is the same player. Leicester's Jamie Vardy is the Premier League's top-scoring goal-den oldie Jamie Vardy has paid tribute to outgoing Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel following his transfer to French side Nice. I was told this week that Messi scored in 21 successive La Liga games. Try a week on us. Not bad for a lad who was. Follow Stuart on Twitter @stujames75. During their 10-year stint, the Foxes won the FA Cup, Community Shield, Championship, and most famously of all, the Premier League title. You see people who play it and they proper get right into it, looking at all the stats and everything. Its often overlooked that after scoring his first Premier League goal, against Manchester United in September 2014, it took Vardy another 22 games and six months to get his second. He has scored too many good goals with that foot, I say, for it to be called a swinger.