Claudio Ranieri: Jamie Vardy now a marked man

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has urged referees to protect Jamie Vardy as he is now a marked man. The England forward will lead the line for the defending Premier League champions when they start at Hull on Saturday after rejecting a move to Arsenal and signing a new Foxes deal in the summer.

Vardy scored 24 goals last season as Leicester won a shock title by 10 points after being 5,000-1 to win the league at the start.

It sparked interest from Arsenal after they triggered his release fee clause but Vardy turned down a switch to the Emirates Stadium in June and penned a fresh contract until 2020.