Premier League Ponderings: Jamie Vardy, top scorer in the Premier League
On Nov. 7, a remarkable football
landmark was achieved by the
most unlikely of suspects. Leicester
City’s Jamie Vardy scored a penalty
against Watford to become the first
player in Premier League history to
score in nine consecutive games in
a single season.
The feat put him just one goal shy of Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of 10 in a row that spanned two seasons, 2002/03 and 2003/04, and the run moved him ahead of Daniel Sturridge for consecutive games scored in by an Englishman.
With Vardy sitting five goals ahead of his nearest rival in the scoring charts, the 28-year-old is having a remarkable season, already the third most productive in the striker’s career. It is the culmination of an unlikely career path for the top scorer of the Premier League.
Released from Sheffield Wednesday’s academy at the age of 15, Vardy moved into the youth system of eighth tier semi-professional club Stocksbridge Park Steels F.C. He did this while taking a job making medical splints in a carbon fibre factory to supplement his £30 a week football wages.
It would be a further five years before he made his debut, scoring 66 goals in 107 appearances for the club.
Three years later he was signed by seventh tier club Halifax Town, finishing as top scorer in his debut season and leading them to the title.
After scoring three goals in the first four games of the following season, he was signed by Fleetwood town in the fifth tier in October 2011. In his solitary season he scored 34 goals in 40 appearances and again led his new club to the title, in addition to their first ever promotion to the Football League proper.
His goal scoring exploits at Fleetwood finally gave Vardy his big break, with Championship Leicester City paying £1-million for his services in May 2012, a record for a non-League player.
He signed a three-year contract at the club and scored his first league goal in August. His first season was a struggle, as only four more goals would follow across all competitions, and led to the then 25-yearold almost leaving the club after becoming the fans’ scapegoat for their sixth place finish.
The next year saw a turnaround for both Vardy and Leicester, as he scored 16 goals as his club won the title. He then had a promotion to the Premier League with an impressive 103 points. On a personal level Vardy had also repaired his reputation at the club, being awarded with the Players’ Player of the Season, as voted by his teammates.
A contract extension was his reward as the club made their topflight comeback. His first proof of his top-flight merit came in September, as he was instrumental in Leicester City’s comeback victory against Manchester United.
Leicester went two goals down before winning 5–3, and Vardy was instrumental in all five of the goals scored.
In addition to scoring one in the 79th minute, he won two penalties and assisted the other two. However, goals were scarcer in the Premier League, with Vardy only netting five over his 34 appearances as his club struggled in the top flight before eventually securing a comfortable 14th.
Then came this season; Vardy scored his team’s opening goal of the season and hasn’t stopped since.
An equaliser against Aston Villa and Bournemouth, two goals against Arsenal and match winners against Crystal Palace and Watford have helped him to the top of the scoring charts, and his club to a high flying third place.
It remains to be seen whether they can keep it up, but it has already been a fairy-tale season for Vardy, and after the path he took, he is wholly deserving of every accolade that comes his way.
The feat put him just one goal shy of Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of 10 in a row that spanned two seasons, 2002/03 and 2003/04, and the run moved him ahead of Daniel Sturridge for consecutive games scored in by an Englishman.
With Vardy sitting five goals ahead of his nearest rival in the scoring charts, the 28-year-old is having a remarkable season, already the third most productive in the striker’s career. It is the culmination of an unlikely career path for the top scorer of the Premier League.
Released from Sheffield Wednesday’s academy at the age of 15, Vardy moved into the youth system of eighth tier semi-professional club Stocksbridge Park Steels F.C. He did this while taking a job making medical splints in a carbon fibre factory to supplement his £30 a week football wages.
It would be a further five years before he made his debut, scoring 66 goals in 107 appearances for the club.
Three years later he was signed by seventh tier club Halifax Town, finishing as top scorer in his debut season and leading them to the title.
After scoring three goals in the first four games of the following season, he was signed by Fleetwood town in the fifth tier in October 2011. In his solitary season he scored 34 goals in 40 appearances and again led his new club to the title, in addition to their first ever promotion to the Football League proper.
His goal scoring exploits at Fleetwood finally gave Vardy his big break, with Championship Leicester City paying £1-million for his services in May 2012, a record for a non-League player.
He signed a three-year contract at the club and scored his first league goal in August. His first season was a struggle, as only four more goals would follow across all competitions, and led to the then 25-yearold almost leaving the club after becoming the fans’ scapegoat for their sixth place finish.
The next year saw a turnaround for both Vardy and Leicester, as he scored 16 goals as his club won the title. He then had a promotion to the Premier League with an impressive 103 points. On a personal level Vardy had also repaired his reputation at the club, being awarded with the Players’ Player of the Season, as voted by his teammates.
A contract extension was his reward as the club made their topflight comeback. His first proof of his top-flight merit came in September, as he was instrumental in Leicester City’s comeback victory against Manchester United.
Leicester went two goals down before winning 5–3, and Vardy was instrumental in all five of the goals scored.
In addition to scoring one in the 79th minute, he won two penalties and assisted the other two. However, goals were scarcer in the Premier League, with Vardy only netting five over his 34 appearances as his club struggled in the top flight before eventually securing a comfortable 14th.
Then came this season; Vardy scored his team’s opening goal of the season and hasn’t stopped since.
An equaliser against Aston Villa and Bournemouth, two goals against Arsenal and match winners against Crystal Palace and Watford have helped him to the top of the scoring charts, and his club to a high flying third place.
It remains to be seen whether they can keep it up, but it has already been a fairy-tale season for Vardy, and after the path he took, he is wholly deserving of every accolade that comes his way.
