Vardy: Onwards & Upwards
The party will continue until 2024 for City’s No.9, who is currently on 164 goals for the Club, a tally bettered only by early 20th century heroes Arthur Chandler and Arthur Rowley. Vardy has won the Premier League, Championship, FA Cup and Community Shield with the Foxes.
Now the 35-year-old, whose exploits have made him recognisable around the globe, wants more from his time in Leicester. Memories of those glories may well bring the former Fleetwood Town striker joy and satisfaction, but he’s intent on writing a new chapter at the Club.
“I’m obviously over the moon,” Vardy told LCFC TV in Seagrave this week. “Once I heard it was something the Club was looking at, there was only one thing that was going to happen, and I was going to sign it. The decision was easy.
“I’ve been here long enough now that I feel like part of the furniture. It’s been an up and down ride the whole way, but I think you can see with the way we’re trying to play, the way the Club’s wanting to go, that it’s going to be onwards and upwards.
“To carry on being involved with that, I was over the moon. You want to keep winning things, but [past successes] are in the past now. You have to put them on the backburner. Think about them another time.
“You’ve got to concentrate on the here and now and it’s all about this season and finishing as high as we can. My legs are still feeling great so, to carry that on, like I say, helping the Club as much as I can, whether that’s scoring or assisting, that’s what I’m here to do.”
Although his goalscoring figures remain as impressive as ever, after netting 17 goals in all competitions last term, Vardy admits his role is changing in his mid-30s. Working closely with manager Brendan Rodgers, Leicester’s iconic striker says his game has evolved over time.
“You have to listen to your body and how it’s feeling, but like I said, at the minute it’s feeling fine,” the Sheffield-born forward explained. “The legs are still working. I’m not picking up any little niggles or anything. While it’s like that, I’ll carry on for as long as possible.
“I’m a lot different. I’ve had to adapt. The gaffer has helped me massively with that, certain aspects, like dropping in, getting the ball, and laying it off.
“Or, depending on who we’re playing against, he’ll probably have me where I’m not involved as much but it’ll create space for my team-mates. It’s one of them. You get given a job on the day and you do that to the best of your ability and hopefully it works out best for the team.
“I’m still the same, I’m still a bit of a joker! Like you say, the young lads are all top-quality players, but I think, if you go down in that dressing room and ask any of them, they know they can talk to the senior players. If they need advice, we can help them.
“That’s what we’re there to do – to give them the info they might need at the time and just little things like that can obviously fit benefit them as players and make them even better.”