Vardy, Jamie – From part-timer to Premier winner

Jamie Vardy (b1987)

Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Vardy started his career with the Stocksbridge Park Steels youth system-at 16 years-old after being released by Sheffield Wednesday.

He made his way through the reserve team and into the first team making his debut under manager Gary Marrow in 2007, earning £30 a week at the club.

After impressive displays, a number of Football League teams became interested and in 2009 he spent a week on trial with Crewe Alexandra. A move did not materialise and he later turned down a short-term contract with Rotherham United. Before turning professional, Vardy combined playing non-League football with a job as technician making medical splints.

In June 2010, manager Neil Aspin, a long-time admirer of Vardy’s talents, signed him for FC Halifax Town for a fee of £15,000.  Vardy had a successful first season with “the Shaymen” finishing as the club’s top goalscorer with 25 goals from 37 appearances and being voted the Player’s Player of the Season.

After just over a year with Halifax, Vardy signed for Conference Premier club Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee.

He won the Conference Premier Player of the Month award.

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway made a £750,000 offer for him, which Fleetwood rejected, holding on for £1 million and a loan back to the club. Fleetwood won the Conference title and a first-ever promotion to the Football League.

In May 2012, it was announced that Vardy would be signing for Championship club Leicester City ahead of the 2012–13 season, for a reported fee of £1 million, a non-League record, which could potentially be worth up to £1.7 million with add-ons.

Vardy made his debut for Leicester against Torquay United in the first round of the League Cup, but his first season at the club was marred by his own loss of form, prompting criticism from some City supporters on social media, and he even considered leaving football until manager Nigel Pearson and assistant manager Craig Shakespeare convinced him to continue with the club.

The following season brought a turnaround in Vardy’s fortunes as he established himself as a prolific scorer in the Leicester attack as the club took a commanding lead at the top of the table and finished the season with 16 league goals as Leicester were promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season as champions. He was named Leicester’s Players’ Player of the season.

On 21 November, Vardy matched Van Nistelrooy’s record of consecutive Premier League matches with a goal, opening a 3–0 win over Newcastle United. A week later, against Manchester United, he scored again to claim the record for himself. His run ended on 5 December when he did not score in a 3–0 win at Swansea City, having done so he would have equalled the English top-flight record of 12 consecutive scoring matches set by Jimmy Dunne for Sheffield United in 1931–32.

By January 2016, Vardy’s transfer value had risen from £2.1 million to £18.8 million

With 24 league goals, Vardy was the second highest scorer in the Premier League for the 2015–16 season, alongside Sergio Agüero, only one goal behind Golden Boot winner Harry Kane. Vardy was one of four Leicester players in the PFA Team of the Year; he was later also named the FWA Footballer of the Year and the 2016 Barclays Premier League Player of the Season.

In 2016, Arsenal made a bid of £22 million for Vardy, triggering a release clause in his contract. Leicester offered him improved terms, and 20 days later he agreed to a new four-year deal, to be signed on his return from UEFA Euro 2016

In May 2015, he was called up to the England national team for the first time ahead of a friendly against the Republic of Ireland and a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Slovenia. He made his debut on 7 June in the goalless draw against the Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, replacing captain Wayne Rooney for the final 15 minute.

He was named in the 23-man England squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was used sparingly during the tournament, starting only the final group stage match against Belgium as England reached the World Cup semi-finals for only the third time in their history. On 28 August 2018, Vardy stepped aside from the England national team, telling manager Gareth Southgate that he did not want to be considered for selection unless there was an injury crisis.

In addition to his goalscoring, Vardy is known for his high work-rate, relentless running, and direct approach, and is also capable of creating chances for his team mates. He is an extremely fast and dynamic striker, with good positioning.

He met Rebekah Nicholson in 2014 while she was working as a nightclub promoter. The couple married in May 2016 at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, with David Nugent as the best man.  They have four children, two with his wife, and two stepchildren from his wife’s previous relationships.

They made their home near Colsterworth.

In November 2015, Vardy launched V9 Academy, an annual week-long camp designed to offer coaching and guidance to 60 non-League players and offer them the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of scouts from league clubs.