MY DEBT TO RANIERI BY ‘CHAMP’ VARDY
JAMIE VARDY has been showered with praise from all quarters in his football fairytale but one plaudit delighted him more than any other after his crucial equaliser for England against Wales. It came from Claudio Ranieri, his club boss at Leicester, after Vardy (right) had scored his first tournament goal in dramatic fashion to write another page in his remarkable story. “Claudio messaged me a few days ago saying, ‘Congratulations Champ!’” revealed Vardy as he reflected on his entrance into Euro 2106. Two words – but a world of meaning, as the striker explained. “Claudio gave me the freedom to go out and enjoy myself on the pitch, and if you do that who knows what can happen? “We showed that with Leicester last season. I don’t think there’s a need to be worried coming into a tournament. I just attack things head on and I think that’s the best way. “There is no point in being afraid of teams. Your mindset has to be that everyone is beatable – whoever you are up against you can beat them.” So, while Vardy has become too worldly-wise to start predicting glory for England at this tournament, a sense of proper ambition underpins his sensible conversation. “I have confidence that I will score goals whenever I play,” he said. “International football is a lot quicker. You are constantly on the go. You have to rise to the challenge and hope you are good enough. “We know we have a lot of ability in the England squad. We will give everything to the max, and keep progressing and see where we get to.” Could England do a Leicester and be surprise winners of Euro 2016? “Let’s hope the travelator keeps going up,” was the answer. It has been an incredible rise and rise for Vardy, from tough days as a part-timer in non-league football to his current star status with all the England fans singing ‘Jamie Vardy’s having a party’.
Just in the past few weeks, he has won the Premier League with Leicester, got married to his partner Rebekah and been linked with a big-money transfer to Arsenal. Nothing seems to faze him, though. “It’s easy for me to focus playing for England,” said Vardy. “Everything else gets blanked out in my mind. It’s England, England, England. Anything else would just jeopardise the team.
“I’ve always been like that as a player. As soon as I step over the white line, that’s it – the only thing is football. It has to be that way.”
Perhaps that’s one secret of his success – that he can instinctively cope with the pressures of sport at the top level. Perhaps it’s because he remains down to earth.
“I always pinch myself about what’s happened,” he said. “It’s no secret where I have come from with my football and I’ll always remember where I came from.”
The story is so good that a Hollywood movie about his life is about to start filming and will hit the cinemas next year.
And could there still be one more chapter of success in the tale of The Champ?