EYECATCHER - GW5
Jamie Vardy
If ever there was an underdog story, this would surely have to be up there with one of the best.
Our Eyecatcher for Gameweek 5 could only be the one man, a man that has come from non-league football just 2 years ago to suddenly shine on the biggest football stage in England, against arguably the biggest club in all of the country being Manchester United.
That man is Jamie Vardy.
Vardy stole the show on Saturday playing a part in all 5 of Leicester’s goals in their 5-3 win over Manchester United, even scoring one himself. Finishing the game with 1 goal and 4 assists surprised the world, especially because it was his first ever start in the Premier League and he had outshone the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Radamel Falcao on the day.
Vardy has come a long way since he began his senior career 7 years ago for lowly Stocksbridge. To put the ‘lowly’ Stocksbridge into perspective, they are in the 8th tier on the English football pyramid with obviously the Premier League being the top of the bunch.
The man known as ‘The Cannon’ because of his lively nature; went to Stocksbridge after being released by Sheffield Wednesday as a teenager for being too small in stature. Little would he have known at this low point of his career that roughly 10 years later he would lead his newly promoted club Leicester to a win over Manchester United in the Premier League; providing the foundation for one of the greatest football stories to date.
Before joining Leicester prior to the 2012/13 season, Vardy had never played league football with stints for 5th tier Conference sides Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town being the highest level of football he had played.
Vardy was signed by Leicester manager Nigel Pearson for £1 million which was the highest transfer fee ever for a non-league footballer.
Pearson, like with many of his other little known signings (i.e. Ulloa who features as our Gameweek 4 Eyecatcher), clearly saw something in Vardy that others didn’t. Although it took a while for Vardy to excel at Leicester with just 4 goals in his debut season, he flourished in 2013/14 with 16 goals from 37 league appearances helping them get promoted to the Premier League in the process.
Vardy now looks set to make a real impression in the top flight. He has pace to burn which is his major strength on the football pitch and as we’ve seen with many players before; there is no substitute for the ability to get forward with pace.
He does however have a few bad habits like his fiery temper and over-aggression which often sees him make rash challenges and thus get himself booked. He received 9 yellow cards last season with the second most at the club being just 6. This may not be an easy obstacle to overcome for a player that has carried himself with that sort of temperament all of his professional football life; but after this blistering start to his Premier League career he will surely not be looking to change much anyway.
There is no doubt Vardy’s confidence will be sky high at the minute, and after his performance on the weekend rightfully so. Although the match against Manchester United is more than likely to be a one hit wonder; it does show he has the ability to succeed in the top flight and therefore Vardy must surely be on your fantasy radar going forward.
Confidence, like momentum, is a wonderful thing that often pushes players to perform beyond expectations; and although he is a late bloomer, it is clear that Jamie Vardy is confident and has officially arrived for the world to see.
Article by Duane Silva, Footy Prophet
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