Jamie Vardy ready to take his game to another level

There was a six-month period during his non-league days where Jamie Vardy would have to be substituted an hour into away games.

Fri, 05 Jun, 2015 - 01:00

Julian Bennetts, Burton

He would run to the side of the pitch, dive into his parents’ waiting car and they would race home.

A conviction for assault meant an ankle tag and a curfew from six in the evening to six in the morning. Failure to meet it would mean arrest.

A carbon fibre technician, after his release by Sheffield Wednesday, Vardy refused to miss out either on the football or his £30-a-game match-fee. He couldn’t afford to.

Seven years on, Vardy is set to make his England debut against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. In an era where youngsters are scouted from the embryo his tale is both rare and inspiring. As he faced the media at the palatial St George’s Park training base yesterday it was hardly surprising Vardy, now of Leicester, blinked as he got used to the spotlight.

It helped that Charlie Austin – who in eight years has gone from hod-carrier to the Premier League – was sitting alongside him. Their careers dove-tail beautifully, and Roy Hodgson’s hope is these forwards will do so on the pitch in Dublin.

Rags to riches stories cannot begin any more threadbare. QPR striker Austin has long been touted for an England call-up and his tale is relatively well known; Vardy’s is not.

It begins with Vardy’s release from Sheffield Wednesday, aged 16. Stocksbridge Park Steels of the Northern Premier League picked him up and so began a tumultuous eight years.

“I was playing for Stocksbridge though and getting £30-a-week, which I’d never earned through football before so I was happy to get that.”

Then came the conviction for assault.

“I was out with a friend who wore a hearing aid and two other lads thought it would be funny to start mocking him for some reason and attacking him.

“I’m not proud of what I did but I stuck up and defended him, which I’d always do for a mate, and it’s ended up getting me in a bit of trouble.

“I had a tag but you could wear it like an ankle guard. It would protect your ankles. There was no way of breaking it so you were fine.

“But if the away games were too far I could only play an hour and they’d have to take me off. It was a case of hope that we were winning, take me off and straight in the car to make sure I was home in time.”

Vardy was being noticed, and moved to Halifax. He continued with the job as a carbon fibre technician, but realised it was affecting his football. So he quit to see if he could make it as a professional footballer – and three days later moved to Fleetwood.

Vardy’s talents were becoming clear, and Leicester paid €1.36m for him in 2012. He has since played a vital role in their rise to the top flight. Now comes international duty. And this time there is no curfew in sight.