Nine Magic Memories From 10 Years Of Vardy
A period which has brought unrivalled success for the Club in the form of the Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shield and European football, individual accolades have followed for the former Stocksbridge Park Steels striker.
Plucked from the Blue Square Conference in May 2012, the forward’s pace, power and precision finishing soon came to the fore, setting the tone for his teammates behind him as he began his ascent into Leicester City folklore…
Downing Derby on Filbert Way
Nigel Pearson had taken a punt to bring the forward, then 25, to King Power Stadium from Fleetwood Town and after scoring four goals during his opening campaign in the second tier, critics believed the jump to the Championship could be a step too far for the Non-League hero.
Pearson, and his coaching team, though, always had faith in the Sheffield-born striker and as the Foxes’ 2013/14 title-charge started to gather momentum, so did Vardy’s goalscoring feats.
The future England international already had seven strikes to his name before the turn of the year and when selected to face Midlands rivals and fellow promotion hopefuls Derby County on 10 January, 2014, City’s now iconic No.9 did not disappoint.
Partnered alongside David Nugent, the pair caused havoc for the Rams’ defence, and leading by one at the break, they punished the visitors further in the second half. Nugent’s brace – the second a penalty won by Vardy, was followed by the duo combining for Vardy’s goal, rounding off a 4-1 victory on Filbert Way that sent Leicester seven points clear at the Championship’s summit.
A maiden Premier League strike
Now a Premier League player for the first time following Leicester’s promotion as champions during his second full season at King Power Stadium, Vardy set about making his name on the biggest domestic stage.
Sixteen minutes into his full top-flight debut at home to Manchester United, however, and the visitors were two goals to the good. Few could have predicted what would follow.
Vardy set up Leonardo Ulloa with a sublime cross to pull one back, but even after an hour anything other than a United win looked immeasurably unlikely, with the score now 3-1 to Louis Van Gaal’s men.
City, though, set about turning the game completely on its head, led by Vardy’s tireless running. He was brought down by Rafael, allowing Nugent to convert the resulting spot-kick and after Esteban Cambiasso – assisted by Vardy - levelled the scores, City’s No.9 finally got his own reward with 11 minutes to play.
Completing the comeback with his first Premier League goal, taking Ritchie De Laet’s through-ball in his stride before coolly slotting it beyond David De Gea, there was still time for Ulloa to score a fifth from the penalty spot and subsequently move above the Red Devils in the early standings.
“It’s eleven, it’s heaven for Jamie Vardy!”
Scoring in 10 consecutive games in some feat in any division, but at the pinnacle of the English game, only one player had previously achieved it – Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Vardy, though, was not just content with equalling that record.
A run which started with a late penalty to rescue a point away at Bournemouth in late August 2015, soon gathered momentum. Important goals against Aston Villa, Stoke City, Arsenal, Norwich City, Southampton, Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion, Watford and Newcastle United followed.
As the goals kept on coming for the title-chasing Foxes’ main threat, pundits were running out of superlatives to describe the run and the man himself, but commentator Martin Tyler summed it up perfectly when his 11th hit the back of the net against Manchester United.
Racing onto Christian Fuchs’ no-look pass before emphatically sending the ball past David de Gea, it sparked euphoria around King Power Stadium and beyond. Vardy had made history.
A King Power Stadium stunner
Choosing your favourite Vardy goal isn’t easy. But the sumptuous half-volley scored against Liverpool in early February 2016 is right up there for technique and importance. Losing out to the Reds at Anfield on Boxing Day, Claudio Ranieri’s men would not be defeated this time around, thanks to more heroics from City’s No.9.
With an hour on the clock and the scores level, Riyad Mahrez picked up possession inside his own half, sending a high, long ball up towards the forward. Chasing it down, Vardy allowed the ball to bounce once before steadying himself and hitting a powerful, first-time strike that thundered into the net.
It was an unforgettable goal from an unforgettable player. Using his predatory goalscoring instincts to snare a second of the evening ensured Leicester stayed three points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Lifting the Premier League trophy
The fairytale story was complete on the night of 2 May, 2016, when after Tottenham Hotspur could only draw with Chelsea, the title, despite pre-season odds of 5,000-1, was Leicester’s. Then, five days later, came the crowning glory in front of the Blue Army at King Power Stadium.
Inevitably, the forward was front and centre as the Foxes triumphed 3-1 over Everton. Adding the final two of his 24 league goals across this season, the first came just five minutes in, assisted by Andy King, who would go on to net the second. Vardy then won and took a penalty which rounded off the perfect day to toast the most memorable of domestic successes.
Winning Premier League Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year and named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year – it was an outstanding year for City’s talisman.
A special European goal in Seville
Negotiating a safe passage through to the knockout stages as group winners via victories over Club Brugge (twice), Porto and Copenhagen, Vardy had played his part in City’s inaugural UEFA Champions League campaign but was yet to register a goal heading into the last 16. That was soon to change.
Sevilla awaited next, a side with significant pedigree on the continental stage. And the Spaniards showed their quality by taking a two-goal lead in the second half. However, with less than 20 minutes to play, Danny Drinkwater drove in a low cross and Vardy was in the right place to meet it ahead of the ‘keeper and prod home.
It proved to be a valuable away goal as Leicester won the reverse fixture 2-0 to progress into the last eight. The forward would go on to score again in the quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, equalising on Filbert Way and securing a draw on the night, though it wasn’t enough as City exited the competition, 2-1 on aggregate, with their heads held high.
The 100 Club
Few players possess the consistency or longevity to induct themselves into the Premier League’s 100 Club. There’s currently 33 names on the list, with Vardy placed 14th for most goals scored, despite turning 27 before his first top-flight strike.
He became the 29th player to join the elite club near the conclusion of the 2019/20 season, reaching his century in a 3-0 home triumph over Crystal Palace, played behind closed doors at King Power Stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harvey Barnes capitalised on a slip and teed up Vardy for the simplest of finishes into an empty net. Not content with just reaching his 100th goal, however, Leicester’s main man was played in again by the Academy graduate, sprinting away before a cheeky scoop to lift the ball over Vicente Guaita.
Winning the Golden Boot
The individual records continued to come in 2019/20 as Vardy notched up 23 Premier League goals – more than any other player in the division that campaign - to be named as the Golden Boot winner.
It was one fewer than a career best tally of 24, but he fought off competition from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Danny Ings, who both ended on 22, to claim the prize.
Then aged 33, Vardy became the oldest player to win the award and the first from Leicester City, while the forward joined former Foxes loanee Harry Kane as the second Englishman to take the crown across the previous 20 years.
Speaking to LCFC TV, Brendan Rodgers commented: "Jamie's been outstanding for us - our Player of the Season. He knows he can't do it without his teammates, but he also knows, and the team know, that they couldn't have done it without him. So, 23 goals for everything that he brings, I'm absolutely delighted for him and obviously we're all very happy for him."
Another milestone reached
The season, which started by scoring the winner on the opening day against Wolverhampton Wanderers after lifting the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium, has been hampered by periods on the sidelines through injury. Yet the forward still managed 16 goals across 2021/22 to date, 14 of those in the Premier League.
And when Vardy returns, he makes an impact. Coming off the bench to score in a late win at Burnley in March – his first game of the calendar year - he edged closer to yet another personal milestone. A 150th league goal for Leicester City arrived in the penultimate home fixture of the campaign against Norwich City.
A somewhat fortuitous deflection helped it on its way, but there was nothing lucky about his second of the night in a 3-0 success on Filbert Way. Another brace four days later, during a 5-1 hammering of Watford, demonstrated he has plenty left to give in a Leicester City shirt.