Jamie Richard Vardy (born 11 January 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a strikerfor Premier League club Leicester City and the England national team.After being released by Sheffield Wednesday at the age of sixteen, Vardy began his senior career with Stocksbridge Park Steels, breaking into the first team in 2007 and spending three seasons before joining Northern Premier League club FC Halifax Town in 2010. Scoring 26 goals in his debut season, he won the club's "Player's Player of the Year" award, then moved to Conference Premier club Fleetwood Town in August 2011 for an undisclosed fee. He scored 31 league goals in his first season at his new team, winning the team's "Player of the Year" award as they won the division.
Ian Wright, who also rose from non-League football to the Premier League and English national team, wrote in October 2015 that Vardy could be England's equivalent to Salvatore Schillaci at UEFA Euro 2016: Schillaci, another late bloomer, began the 1990 FIFA World Cup as a substitute behind more established players, and ended it as the top scorer. Wright, who first learnt of Vardy when his former Burnley teammate Micky Mellon signed him for Fleetwood, rates Vardy as a hard-working player with a good first touch, who creates constant work for defenders, and plays by instinct instead of being moulded by his managers.
In addition to his goalscoring, Vardy is known for his high work-rate, relentless running, and direct approach he is an extremely fast and dynamic striker, with good positioning, and an excellent sense of space in the area. A composed finisher and an accurate penalty taker, he is also good in the air, and capable of striking the ball powerfully with both feet. England coach and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville commented on how Vardy's approach influences teammates: "He sets the tempo and the tone for the rest of the team and gives no other player behind him any excuse for not working hard."
According to Leicester vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Vardy drank heavily every night during his early days at the club, and would turn up at training still intoxicated. Srivaddhanaprabha discussed with Vardy over what he expected in his life, and Vardy gave up drinking and took training more seriously from then on.
2012–13 season
On 17 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. The next day, he signed on a three-year contract until June 2015. On 14 August, Vardy made his debut for Leicester against Torquay United in the first round of the League Cup, playing the entirety of the game at Plainmoor and heading the final goal in a 4–0 win. Four days later he made his Football League debut at the King Power Stadium, a 2–0 win over Peterborough United in which he set up a goal for Andy King.
He scored his first league goal in a 2–1 away defeat to Blackburn Rovers on 25 August. In September, he scored the winner in two 2–1 comeback victories, against Burnley and Middlesbrough. Vardy's 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.
2013–14 season
The following season brought a turn around 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. Vardy scored and won a penalty as Leicester beat high flying local rivals Derby County 4–1 on 10 January 2014 and reaffirmed their position at the top of the Championship.Vardy finished the season with 16 league goals as Leicester were promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season as champions,and was named Leicester's Players' Player of the season at the club's awards.
2014–15 season
On 19 August 2014, Vardy extended his contract until the summer of 2018. After missing the first two games of the season through injury, he made his Premier League debut on 31 August 2014, as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 draw at home to Arsenal. On 21 September, Vardy delivered a man of the match performance by scoring his first Premier League goal and setting up the other four as Leicester made a surprise comeback from 3–1 down to a 5–3 victory against Manchester United.
On 11 April 2015, Vardy scored a 90th-minute winning goal in the Foxes' 3–2 victory at West Bromwich Albion. Impressive form throughout the rest of April, including another winning goal, against Burnley on 25 April, saw Vardy nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award. Vardy and Leicester ended the 2014–15 season in a safe 14th position having picked up 22 points since 4 April, capping things off by opening the scoring in a 5–1 victory against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the Premier League season on 24 May.
2015–16 season
Vardy started the 2015–16 season by scoring the opening goal as Leicester picked up a 4–2 victory at home against Sunderland on 8 August 2015. He scored the equaliser in Leicester's 3–2 comeback victory against Aston Villa on 13 September. With a brace in Leicester's 2–5 defeat to Arsenal on 26 September, Vardy reached seven league goals for the season, eclipsing his goal tally of the previous year.
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.
2016–17 season
On 3 June 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. Vardy rejected Arsenal's offer due to not being assured that he would be played in his normal position, and because of the differences between the two club's tactics, with Arsène Wenger favouring possession and Leicester playing on the counter-attack.
On 7 August 2016, he scored in a 2–1 defeat to Manchester United in the 2016 FA Community Shield. On 27 August, Vardy scored his first league of the season in Leicester first win of season, beating Swansea City 2–1.On 10 December 2016, Vardy ended his ten-game drought within the opening five minutes against Manchester City. He ended up scoring another two for his first professional hat-trick to help Leicester to a 4–2 victory, their first win in five league games.On 22 February, Vardy scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 2–1 away defeat to Sevilla in the first leg of the round of 16.
Before turning professional, Vardy combined playing non-League football with a job as technician making medical splints.In 2007, he received a conviction for assault following an incident outside a pub, and had to play with an electronic tag fitted for six months, while his curfew also limited his playing time at Stocksbridge Park Steels.
In August 2015, The Sun on Sunday published a video of Vardy at a casino the previous month, calling a man of East Asian origin a "Jap". He apologised for a "regrettable error of judgement" and was fined by Leicester, who put him on an educational course.
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.The same month, Stocksbridge Park Steels named their main stand after him. In December 2015, the Leicester-based food manufacturer Walkers brought out a limited edition 'Vardy Salted' crisp flavour, in recognition of Vardy's goalscoring run.
Vardy is married to Rebekah Nicholson, with whom he has a daughter. In April 2016, Leicestershire Police investigated a sexual threat against Vardy and Nicholson's then one-year-old daughter over Twitter. The couple married on 25 May 2016 at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, with David Nugent as the best man.
Adrian Butchart, British writer of the Goal! series of football-related fiction films, met Vardy in February 2016 to document him for a biopic film on his career.Vardy is an ambassador for Dorothy Goodman School, a special needs school in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
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