Vardy just the ticket for Puel

CLAUDE PUEL says he wants to stamp Jamie Vardy’s passport to Russia.

Leicester’s new manager is desperate to see the England striker bag the goals that will book his ticket to the World Cup next summer.

Vardy has scored six this season, with four of them coming in his last seven league games. And Puel is eager to make sure that he gets the best out of Vardy, starting at Stoke today.

Vardy is 31 in January and chances are that next summer will be his only crack at World Cup glory. Puel said: “He is a good player. I think all the players can improve. We can see different things and different possibilities.

“For example, for a few seasons Vardy has got the ball behind the lines and in space.

“But when we play against strong defensive units, it is difficult to find this space between the centre-backs. It’s important to have another solution with his team-mates and to develop good relationships.

“He is not just a player with good runs and good movement, he is technical and he has the ability to play with good combinations and quality on the pitch.”

Stoke boss Mark Hughes will not be telling his men to cool it after Saturday’s 1-0 victory against Watford, where both sides were charged for failing to control their players.

“You can look at it as a team looking after each other and sticking together,” said Hughes.

“If we have to take our punishment, then so be it but I think there’s mitigating circumstances, certainly.”

Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross faces a late fitness test after struggling to shake off a thigh injury. VARDY: In form