Southgate won’t slam Vardy gamesmanship

GARETH SOUTHGATE will speak to Jamie Vardy about the antics which saw Sevilla’s Samir Nasri sent off during Leicester City’s midweek win in the Champions League, although he will not condemn the England striker for gamesmanship.

Vardy flinched dramatically when Nasri inclined his head towards him and made contact, and Southgate said the Sevilla player was tricked into reacting.

The England manager regards what Vardy did as within the bounds of what is acceptable and although he says he will not encourage it, he has warned the national side will sometimes have to be streetwise to win games.

Asked if he would speak to Vardy, he said: ‘I better say yes, hadn’t I? I won’t be encouraging players to do it but I recognise that is part of the landscape. If other countries are going to play by another set of rules then we are almost penalising ourselves. Do I like it? No, not really but I understand it.’