Jamie Vardy, the veteran striker known for his incredible rise from non-league football to Premier League champion with Leicester City, has opened up about his rollercoaster career in a new documentary. Speaking with characteristic self-deprecation, Vardy admitted that while he wouldn't change a thing, he wouldn't want to relive the journey. 'If you asked me to go and do it all again, I wouldn't,' he said.
A Unique Path to Success
Vardy's path to the top was anything but conventional. Before his breakthrough, he worked in a warehouse making walking frames and crutches while playing for Stocksbridge Park Steels. 'I was just a little freak in the works,' he reflected. 'It's not the common way of doing things, is it? I don't think it will probably happen again, but it did happen for me and it was hard work.'
Despite his late entry into the Football League at age 25, Vardy insists he has been playing football since the age of five. 'Everyone always says: Oh you didn't come in until 25. And I'm like: I've still been playing football since I was five years old. It's not like I've done anything different; I'm still training and playing on a weekend.'
The Leicester City Fairytale
The highlight of Vardy's career was undoubtedly Leicester City's stunning Premier League title win in 2016, a decade ago now. The team's WhatsApp group remains active, with Vardy noting the incredible bond they shared. 'We're always talking to each other, always keeping in touch, seeing what lads are doing. The bond we had back then was unbelievable.'
Vardy credits former manager Nigel Pearson for laying the foundations, while Claudio Ranieri made only minor tweaks to their successful formula. 'He pulled us all together, said he'd watched the great escape the season before, and said he didn't want to change hardly anything, which I think was right for the group that we had.'
Life's Challenges and Support Systems
Vardy's career has not been without controversy. In 2015, he was fined for using racist language in a casino, which he attributed to ignorance. He also learned the identity of his biological father later that year. Despite these challenges, Vardy did not seek external counselling, instead relying on the club's psychologist. 'It's easy to speak when you're in that environment. I think it's when you're alone and you're trying to keep yourself to yourself. You don't want to speak out to people, and that's what then causes the problem.'
His wife, Rebekah Vardy, has been a key figure in his life, helping him turn his career around. Vardy also remains deeply connected to his childhood friends, whom he calls the 'Inbetweeners.' 'They're just no-nonsense,' he said. 'If I've had a game, they're in the box and I walk upstairs they'll tell me straight away if I've had a good game or a shit game.'
Life After Leicester
Vardy left Leicester City last year, scoring his 200th goal in his 500th appearance. He now plays for Cremonese in Serie A, though recent injuries have limited his involvement. Despite being 39, Vardy plans to continue as long as his body allows. 'When they say enough's enough then that is finito,' he said.
As for a future in management, Vardy is adamant it is not for him. 'Management, no. They're at the training ground even longer than the players. I can't. I've not really thought that far down the line. I'm very much: get today out the way, go to sleep and see what tomorrow brings.'
Looking back, Vardy harbors no regrets about his dizzying journey. 'There wouldn't be any, any at all,' he said. 'But if you asked me to go and do it all again, I wouldn't!' The documentary, Untold UK: Jamie Vardy, is available on Netflix from 12 May.
