Biography of player Jamie Vardy

Jamie Richard Vardy (born January 11, 1987), birth name Jamie Richard Gill, is an English professional footballer currently playing for Serie A club Cremonese. He primarily plays as a center forward but can also play as a winger. SUNWIN

After making his debut for Sheffield Wednesday's youth team at the age of 16, Vardy began his major career with Stocksbridge Park Steels. He was promoted to the first team in 2007 and earned £30 a week. He spent three years there before joining Conference North Halifax Town in 2010. With 27 goals in his first season, he won the club's Player of the Year award.

He began the 2011-12 season with Halifax but then moved to Fleetwood Town in August 2011 for an undisclosed transfer fee. He scored 31 goals for Fleetwood throughout the 2011-12 season, going on to win the club's "Player of the Year" award. This was also Jamie's second consecutive individual award, helping Fleetwood win the Conference Premier title.

In May 2012, he signed a contract with Leicester City, a club playing in the Football League Championship, for a club-record transfer fee of £1 million.

In November 2015, Vardy became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Premier League matches. On May 2, 2016, Vardy officially won the Premier League title with Leicester City after Chelsea drew with Tottenham Hotspur.

Jamie Vardy joined the England national team in 2015 at the age of 28, making him the youngest player to ever represent the national team. He was called up by manager Roy Hodgson for Euro 2016 in France. In the second match of Group B against Wales, Jamie Vardy came on in the final minutes of the second half and scored the winning goal, giving England a 2-1 victory over Wales (Wales striker Gareth Bale had scored the opening goal earlier).

2. Personal information of Jami Vardy

Vardy was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, to Richard Gill and Lisa Clewes. His biological father left home when Vardy was young. His mother later married Phil Vardy, and he took his stepfather's surname. Vardy grew up in the Hillsborough area of central Sheffield. His stepfather worked as a crane operator, and his mother worked in a law office. As a child, he was a fan of Sheffield Wednesday and idolized striker David Hirst.

Vardy is a huge fan of Sheffield Wednesday, one of the clubs in his hometown.

During the 1990s and 2000s, Vardy witnessed the intense rivalry between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United fans in the city of Sheffield, culminating in memorable Steel City derbies. Regarding this rivalry, he commented: "It was always fantastic when they went head-to-head. The atmosphere you got was really great and people lived for football. So matches like that were huge for Sheffield, and of course the bragging rights and everything that came with it."

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As a die-hard Sheffield Wednesday fan, this rivalry has led to some memorable celebrations in front of Sheffield United fans, including Leicester City's 2-1 win over United, where Vardy scored and celebrated in front of the fans at Bramall Lane.

Before becoming a professional footballer, Vardy combined playing in lower leagues with working as a technician manufacturing medical splints. In 2007, he was convicted of assault after an incident outside a pub and had to wear an electronic monitoring device for six months, while a curfew also limited his playing time at Stocksbridge Park Steels.

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In August 2015, The Sun on Sunday published a video of Vardy at a casino the previous month, where he called an East Asian man "Jap". He apologized for the "unfortunate error of judgment" and was fined by Leicester, as well as required to attend a re-education course.

Vardy met Rebekah Nicholson in 2014 while she was working as a bar promoter. The couple married on May 25, 2016, at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, with David Nugent as best man. Vardy has four biological children: three with his wife and one from a previous relationship. He is also the stepfather of two of his wife's children from a previous relationship.

In November 2015, Vardy founded the V9 Academy, a week-long annual training camp aimed at providing coaching and guidance to 60 lower-league players and giving them the opportunity to showcase their talent to scouts from clubs in the league. That same month, Stocksbridge Park Steels named their main stand after him.

In December 2015, Leicester-based food producer Walkers launched a limited-edition "Vardy Salted" potato chip flavor to celebrate Vardy's goal-scoring streak. Adrian Butchart, the British writer of the fictional football series Goal!, completed the script for a film about Vardy in 2016. Vardy is an ambassador for Dorothy Goodman School, a school for children with disabilities in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

On June 15, 2021, Vardy purchased a minority stake in the American soccer club Rochester Rhinos, which was later renamed Rochester New York FC. Vardy co-owned the club with David and Wendy Dworkin, who purchased the club in 2016. The club ceased operations in March 2023.

3. Jamie Vardy's playing style

Vardy's path to the top is unique due to his long stint in lower leagues. Before making his Premier League debut at age 27, he played in the eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth, and second tiers of the English football league system. He attributes his late arrival in the Premier League to his continued fitness and high-intensity performances well into his 30s, saying: "My legs feel great and people say that as you get older, your speed decreases, but it hasn't affected me. Hopefully, because I came to football later, it means I have more time to play."

Experts have compared Vardy's playing style to lower-league football. Gary Neville, a Sky Sports pundit and former England assistant coach, said: "When he first came out, he was very raw and aggressive. I often said he played like a lower-league Premier League player. His game has become more polished, smoother, more refined."

Playing style

In 2020, Four Four Two ranked Vardy among the world's best strikers thanks to his superb finishing, speed, and positional awareness. Ian Wright, who also rose from the lower leagues to the Premier League and the England national team, wrote in October 2015 that Vardy could be England's equivalent of Salvatore Schillaci at Euro 2016; Schillaci, another late bloomer, started the 1990 World Cup as a substitute behind more established players, and finished the tournament as the top scorer.

Wright, who first became aware of Vardy when his former Burnley teammate Micky Mellon signed him for Fleetwood, describes Vardy as a hard-working player with good ball control, creating numerous chances for opposing defenses and playing instinctively rather than being influenced by his manager. Although Vardy usually plays as a central striker, he is a versatile player, capable of playing in multiple attacking positions, and is also used as a winger.

Beyond his excellent goal-scoring ability, Vardy is also known for his high work rate, tireless running, direct playing style, ambidextrousness, and ability to link up play. He is considered an extremely agile and dynamic striker, with good positioning and superb spatial awareness in the penalty area. These qualities allow him to play close to defenders, with the time to break through opposing defenses and stretch them, which, combined with his speed and accurate finishing, makes him a threat on counter-attacks, perfectly suited to the playing style of Leicester City.

Vardy is also a penalty taker, having successfully converted 26 penalties in the Premier League. He also possesses good aerial ability and a powerful finishing ability with both feet. Gary Neville commented on Vardy's approach to influencing his teammates: "He sets the tempo and style for the rest of the team and doesn't give any player behind him any excuse not to work hard."

Lifestyle and approach to exercise

According to Leicester's vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Vardy drank heavily every night during his early days at the club, and arrived at training intoxicated. Srivaddhanaprabha discussed with Vardy what he expected of him in life, and Vardy has since given up alcohol and trained more seriously.

Other experts, such as Jamie Jackson, have said that Vardy had refocused after the previous nightclub attack, and the arrival of his eldest daughter, Ella, was a stabilizing force.

During Euro 2016, Vardy shared with the media about his unusual lifestyle choices for a professional athlete. He stated that he didn't train at the gym, and that he consumed Red Bull soda and smokeless cigarettes.

4. Jamie Vardy's career

4.1 Club career

• Early career

Vardy was a product of Sheffield Wednesday's youth academy but was released at the age of 16. He then joined Stocksbridge Park Steels on a salary of £30 a week. After progressing through the reserve team, he made his first-team debut in the lower league under manager Peter Rinkcavage in 2006. His real breakthrough came under manager Gary Marrow in the 2007-08 season.

Following his impressive performances, several professional teams took notice of him, and in 2009, he spent a week on trial at Crewe Alexandra. However, the transfer did not materialize, and he subsequently rejected a short-term contract with Rotherham United.

Vardy scored a total of 55 goals for the club in all competitions. He helped the team win the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup and gain promotion to the Northern Premier League in the 2008-09 season.

In June 2010, manager Neil Aspin, a long-time admirer of Vardy's talent, signed him to FC Halifax Town for a transfer fee of £15,000. He made his debut on August 21, 2010, in a home game against Buxton, scoring the winning goal in a match that ended 2-1 in favor of his new team.

Vardy had a successful first season with "the Shaymen," finishing as the club's top scorer with 25 goals in 37 appearances and being voted Player of the Season by the players' vote. Towards the end of the season, he nearly scored a hat-trick, but failed to score a third in Halifax's 3-1 victory over Nantwich Town.

His goals helped the team win the Northern Premier League Premier Division title in the 2010-11 season. Vardy started the 2011-12 season with Halifax and scored three goals in the first four games of the season.

• Fleetwood Town

After more than a year playing for Halifax, Vardy moved to Fleetwood Town, a Conference Premier League club, for an undisclosed transfer fee. He made his debut on the same day, in a 0-0 home draw against York City.

He scored his first goals for the club in his third appearance, netting two in a 3-2 away win against Kettering Town on September 3rd. The following week, he added two more goals against Gateshead at Highbury Stadium, including a stoppage-time goal. He scored two goals in his third consecutive game when he found the net in a 3-1 away win against Ebbsfleet United, but went goalless for over a month until he scored a hat-trick away against Alfreton Town on October 18th.

On September 20th, he received a direct red card in a 5-2 home win against Kidderminster Harriers, a match in which each team played for over an hour with ten men. Four days after his hat-trick, Vardy scored two more goals in a 4-1 victory over Bath City, a result that left Fleetwood two points behind league leaders Wrexham.

In the opening round of the FA Cup on November 12th, Vardy scored the second goal in a 2-0 victory against League One side Wycombe Wanderers. Fifteen days later, his goal in a 1-1 away draw against Gateshead meant he had scored in his last six games, totaling 10 goals during that period; he won the Conference Premier Player of the Month award for November.

On December 13th, Vardy sealed a 2-0 victory in injury time, giving Fleetwood an away win against Yeovil Town in the second round replay of the Cup.

On January 1, 2012, Vardy scored two goals in a 6-0 victory against Southport, and six days later, the team lost 5-1 at home to local rivals Blackpool in the third round of the Cup. After the match, Blackpool manager Ian Holloway made a £750,000 offer for him, but Fleetwood refused, keeping him for £1 million and loaning him back to the club. He scored a total of six goals in the first four matches of the calendar year.

On February 21st, he scored his second hat-trick of the season in a 6-2 victory over Ebbsfleet United, putting Fleetwood two points ahead of Wrexham at the top of the table. Vardy scored both goals for Fleetwood in a 2-2 draw against Lincoln City on April 13th; Wrexham's draw against Grimsby Town the following day secured Fleetwood the Conference title and their first-ever promotion to the Football League. His 31 league goals earned Vardy the Conference Premier top scorer award.

• Leicester City

On May 17, 2012, Vardy was informed he would sign with Leicester City, a Championship club, ahead of the 2012-13 season, for a transfer fee reportedly £1 million, a record for a player in a lower league, potentially rising to £1.7 million with add-ons. The following day, he signed a three-year contract until June 2015.

On August 14th, Vardy made his Leicester debut against Torquay United in the first round of the League Cup, playing the full 90 minutes at Plainmoor and scoring the final header in a 4-0 victory. Four days later, he made his Football League debut at King Power Stadium in a 2-0 win against Peterborough United, where he assisted a goal for Andy King. He scored his first league goal in a 2-1 away defeat against Blackburn Rovers on August 25th.

In September, he scored the winning goal in two 2-1 victories after falling behind, against Burnley and Middlesbrough. Vardy's first season at the club was marred by his own poor form, leading some City fans to criticize him on social media, and he even considered giving up football until manager Nigel Pearson and assistant coach Craig Shakespeare convinced him to stay at the club.

The following season, luck was on Vardy's side as he established himself as a top striker for Leicester as the club rose to the top of the league table. Vardy scored and won a penalty in the local derby as Leicester beat Derby County 4-1 on January 10, 2014, securing their lead in the Championship.

Vardy finished the season with 16 league goals as Leicester won the title and were promoted to the Premier League at the end of the season, and was voted Leicester's Player of the Season at the club's awards ceremony.

On August 19, 2014, Vardy extended his contract until the summer of 2018. After missing the first two games of the season due to injury, he made his Premier League debut on August 31, 2014, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a 1-1 home draw against Arsenal.

On September 21st, Vardy delivered an outstanding performance, scoring his first Premier League goal and assisting four others to help Leicester come from behind to win 5-3 against Manchester United after being 3-1 down. On April 11th, 2015, Vardy scored the winning goal in the 90th minute in Leicester's 3-2 away win against West Bromwich Albion.

Vardy's impressive form throughout the remainder of April, including another decisive goal against Burnley on April 25th, earned him a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Month. Vardy and Leicester finished the 2014-15 season in a safe 14th place after accumulating 22 points since April 4th, capping off the season with the opening goal in a 5-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers on the final Premier League matchday, May 24th.

2015-16 season

Vardy began the 2015-16 season by scoring the opening goal in Leicester's 4-2 home win against Sunderland on August 8, 2015. He scored the equalizer in Leicester's 3-2 comeback victory against Aston Villa on September 13. With two goals in Leicester's 5-2 defeat to Arsenal on September 26, Vardy reached seven league goals that season, surpassing his tally from the previous year.

On October 24th, he scored the only goal in a home win against Crystal Palace, marking his seventh consecutive Premier League match in which he scored and his tenth league goal of the season. Vardy scored in his eighth consecutive league match on October 31st, becoming only the third player in Premier League history to achieve this feat after Ruud van Nistelrooy (twice) and Daniel Sturridge, in a 3-2 victory against West Bromwich Albion.

A week later, he won and converted a penalty to help Leicester win 2-1 against Watford, extending his streak of consecutive games scoring to nine, just short of Van Nistelrooy's Premier League record of 10. Vardy also became the first player in the Premier League to score in nine consecutive games in a season, as Van Nistelrooy's 10 games occurred at the end of the 2002-03 season and the beginning of the 2003-04 season.

With his impressive form, Vardy was named Premier League Player of the Month for October 2015, becoming the first Leicester player to receive this award since goalkeeper Tim Flowers in 2000.

On November 21st, Vardy equaled Van Nistelrooy's record for the most consecutive Premier League games scoring, opening the scoring in a 3-0 win against Newcastle United. A week later, in a match against Manchester United, he scored again to break his own record. His scoring streak ended on December 5th when he failed to score in a 3-0 away win against Swansea City. If he had scored, he would have equaled the record of 12 consecutive Premier League games scoring, set by Jimmy Dunne for Sheffield United in the 1931-32 season; however, this result still put Leicester at the top of the table.

Following his impressive goalscoring record, Vardy was once again named Premier League Player of the Month for November, becoming only the fifth player in history to win the award in two consecutive months. He was awarded a Guinness World Records certificate for this achievement.

In January 2016, manager Claudio Ranieri declared that Vardy and Riyad Mahrez would not be sold to anyone, describing them as "priceless". On February 2nd, he scored both goals in a 2-0 victory against Liverpool, the first being a long-range volley described as "world-class" by opposing manager Jürgen Klopp. Four days later, he signed a new contract to stay with Leicester until 2019, increasing his weekly salary to £80,000.

On April 10, 2016, Vardy scored both goals (his 20th and 21st of the season) in Leicester's 2-0 away win against Sunderland, becoming the first Leicester player since Gary Lineker in the 1984-85 season to score 20 goals in the top flight of English football. This result also secured Leicester's first-ever qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

A week later, Vardy scored the opening goal in a 2-2 home draw against West Ham United, but was subsequently sent off for simulating a foul in the penalty area under pressure from Angelo Ogbonna. He was charged with improper conduct for his reaction after being sent off and fined £10,000, as well as receiving a two-match suspension during a crucial stage of Leicester's title-winning campaign.

With 24 goals in the league, Vardy was the second-highest scorer in the 2015-16 Premier League season, alongside Sergio Agüero, just one goal behind top scorer Harry Kane. Vardy was one of four Leicester players included in the PFA Team of the Year; he was subsequently named FWA Player of the Year and Barclays Premier League Player of the Season for 2016.

2016-17 season

On June 3, 2016, Arsenal made a £22 million offer for Vardy, activating his release clause. Leicester offered him better terms, and twenty days later, he agreed to a new four-year contract, to be signed upon his return from UEFA Euro 2016. Vardy rejected Arsenal's offer because Arsenal did not promise him playing in his preferred position and because of the tactical differences between the two clubs, with Arsène Wenger favoring possession and Leicester playing counter-attacking football.

On August 7, 2016, he scored in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the 2016 FA Community Shield. Twenty days later, Vardy scored his first league goal in Leicester's first win of the season, a 2-1 victory over Swansea City. On December 10, Vardy ended a 10-match goalless streak within the first five minutes of a match against Manchester City. He then added two more goals to complete his first professional hat-trick, helping Leicester secure a 4-2 victory, their first win in five league games. A week later, he was sent off in the first half of a 2-2 away draw against Stoke City for a foul on Mame Biram Diouf; Leicester appealed but were unsuccessful in conceding his three-match suspension.

Vardy scored his first Champions League goal on February 22, 2017, in a 2-1 away defeat to Sevilla in the first leg of the round of 16. On April 18, he scored the equalizer for Leicester in the second leg of the quarter-final against Atlético Madrid, but Leicester were still eliminated with an aggregate score of 2-1.

2017-2019 season

Vardy began his sixth season at the club by scoring two goals in a 4-3 away defeat to Arsenal on the opening day of the 2017-18 season. On October 16th, Vardy made his 200th appearance for the club in a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion. Two weeks later, he scored the opening goal in a 2-0 home win against Everton in Claude Puel's first game as Leicester's manager. On December 23rd, 2017, Vardy scored his 50th Premier League goal in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

By scoring two goals in the final game of the season, a 5-4 away defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, Vardy reached the milestone of 20 Premier League goals for the second time in his career. In total, he made 42 appearances in all competitions, scoring 23 goals as Leicester finished 9th in the Premier League. Vardy received the BBC Goal of the Season award for a goal against West Bromwich Albion, where he unleashed a powerful left-footed shot that flew over teammate Riyad Mahrez's shoulder.

On August 9, 2018, just before the start of the 2018-19 season, Vardy signed a new four-year contract with Leicester, keeping him at the club until June 2022. Vardy started the season as a substitute, scoring a consolation goal in the 92nd minute of a 2-1 away defeat against Manchester United in the opening match of the season. He was sent off in the following game after a dangerous tackle on Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Matt Doherty.

On March 9, 2019, Vardy scored his 100th goal for Leicester, netting two goals in a 3-1 home win against Fulham. On April 28, 2019, Vardy scored two more goals, this time in a 3-0 home win against Arsenal, bringing his total league goals for Leicester to 100.

2019-2020 season

On October 25, 2019, Vardy scored a hat-trick in a 9-0 away win against Southampton. Vardy scored his 100th and 101st Premier League goals on July 4, 2020, in a 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace. He became the first Leicester player to reach the 100-goal milestone, and the 29th player in Premier League history. Of those 29 players, only Ian Wright (28 years and 286 days old) made his league debut at an older age than Vardy (27 years and 232 days old).

With 23 goals, he won the Premier League Golden Boot for the first time in his career, followed by Southampton striker Danny Ings and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, both of whom scored 22 goals. Vardy, 33, became the oldest player to win the award; Didier Drogba was the previous oldest, at age 32, when he led Chelsea to the 2009-10 Premier League title with 29 goals.

From 2020 to the present

On August 26, 2020, Vardy signed a new contract with Leicester City until June 2023. On September 27, he scored his second hat-trick against Manchester City in a 5-2 away win. On October 25, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Arsenal, giving Leicester City their first away win against Arsenal since September 1973.

On December 6th, while celebrating a last-minute goal in Leicester's 2-1 victory over Sheffield United, Vardy slipped and damaged a corner flag decorated with rainbow colors from Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign. Vardy then signed the flag and donated it to Foxes Pride, Leicester's LGBT+ fan group.

On May 15, 2021, he started in the 2021 FA Cup final as Leicester beat Chelsea 1-0, the club's first ever trophy win. By appearing in the final, Vardy became the first player to have played in every round of the competition, including the preliminary rounds. With Leicester City struggling to avoid relegation in the 2022-23 season, he emphasized that avoiding relegation would be the pinnacle of his career. However, Leicester City were relegated after finishing 18th in the league table.

On April 29, 2024, he scored two goals in a 3-0 away win against Preston, helping Leicester City win the 2023-24 EFL Championship and gain promotion back to the Premier League.

On June 7, 2024, Vardy announced he had signed a new one-year contract with the club. On August 19, in Leicester's first match after returning to the Premier League, Vardy scored the equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur, helping his team draw 1-1.

On April 24, 2025, Vardy was announced to be leaving Leicester at the end of the 2024–25 season. Vardy was the last remaining player from Leicester's 2016 Premier League-winning squad to stay at the club.

Vardy's final game for Leicester took place on May 18, 2025, against Ipswich Town, in his last and penultimate home game of the season. Leicester confirmed that he would not participate in the final away game against Bournemouth to give Leicester fans a proper farewell. This game also marked his 500th appearance for Leicester, coinciding with the 13th anniversary of his signing (May 18, 2012). In that match, Vardy scored his 200th goal for Leicester in the 28th minute, before leaving the field in the 80th minute to enthusiastic applause, contributing to Leicester's 2–0 victory.

Cremonese

On September 1, 2025, Serie A club Cremonese announced the signing of Vardy on a free transfer with a one-year contract and an option to extend. On September 15, he made his debut coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 away draw against Hellas Verona.

4.2 International playing career

On May 21, 2015, Vardy received his first call-up to the England national team, preparing for a friendly against the Republic of Ireland and a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Slovenia. He made his international debut on June 7 in a goalless draw against the Republic of Ireland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, coming on as a substitute for England captain Wayne Rooney in the final 15 minutes of the game.

On August 30th, Vardy was once again called up to the England squad for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches against San Marino and Switzerland, and was selected to start when England won 6-0 against San Marino in Serravalle six days later.

Vardy scored his first international goal on March 26, 2016, equalizing with a backheel shot from a Nathaniel Clyne pass, coming on as a substitute in a 3-2 away win against Germany. Three days later, he scored again, opening the scoring in a 2-1 defeat against the Netherlands at Wembley Stadium.

Vardy made his international debut on June 16th, in England's second group stage match at UEFA Euro 2016, coming on as a substitute in the second half and scoring the equalizer against Wales, helping his team come from behind to win 2-1. During the tournament, media reports circulated about a disagreement between Vardy and teammate Rooney, but this was denied by manager Roy Hodgson.

Vardy was included in England's 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup. He was used sparingly throughout the tournament, starting only in the final group stage match against Belgium as England reached the semi-finals for the third time in history. On August 28, 2018, Vardy withdrew from the England squad, telling manager Gareth Southgate that he did not want to be considered unless there was an injury crisis.