What happened the following season, of course, is well-known. Vardy’s electric pace and fine finishing enabled him to score 24 times in 36 games played, the first Leicester striker since Gary Lineker in 1984/5 to score 20 league goals in a top-flight season. This included breaking the record by scoring in 11 successive Premier League games. Jamie’s strikes were also often crucial. In nine games during the season his goals were decisive in either securing wins (in four games) or draws (in five games). That’s a total of 17 points won by vital contributions from Leicester’s number nine.
The Football Writers Association named Vardy as their footballer of the year and The Sunday Times later listed him as one of the ‘500 most influential people in Britain in 2016’. At his peak, he was certainly one of the best strikers in the world.
A move to Arsenal looked likely in the summer of 2016 but, much to the relief and gratitude of Foxes’ fans, he stayed put. For the next six Premier League seasons, he hit double figures with a high of 23 league goals, and the Golden Boot, in 2019/20. His goals helped City to two top five finishes and five successive top half finishes. Before his retirement from international football in 2018, the Leicester number nine won 26 England caps, scoring seven goals. Jamie’s form in the relegation season (only three goals) seemed to presage the end of a long and distinguished career but he bounced back scoring 18 league goals as City marched to the Championship title in 2024.
So far in the current season, Vardy, at the age of 37, has scored four times back in the top-flight. Leicester fans will mourn the day that he decides to hang up his boots.
More on Monday.