Jamie Vardy

Jamie Vardy
Image from: esquire.com

Jamie Richard Vardy





Current Club: Leicester City.

Previous Clubs: Fleetwood Town, Halifax Town, Stocksbridge.

Loan Clubs: N/A.





International: England 23 caps 7 goals.

Trophies Won: Premier League 2015/16.





We all know his key asset - pace. Vardy is fast like a scalded rabbit and is always looking to run in behind to use that pace. Unlike some players, Vardy does not wait for the ball to come, then make the run. He makes the run in the hope of the ball coming and that gives him a huge advantage. The defender is having to hold in the hope of an offside, to wait for the ball to come, by which time Vardy is away and gone.



He is decent in the air, though it is not really what you would consider an asset, he can get in on the end of a cross, but he really wants the ball on his foot. It is no surprise that he wants it on his foot, as his striking technique is excellent, far better than you would expect from a player that was only recently plying his trade in non-league football. Vardy is capable of smashing, and I do mean smashing, the ball in from all angles and positions. He is not afraid to hit it from outside the box either, knowing that he has the power to beat a keeper from 40 yards if he gets it right.



Another asset is his willingness to chase lost causes and harry defenders, causing them to rush the play from the back. Defenders know they are not in for an easy game when they have to face him, even if they have the ball themselves, he will not give them a break. Vardy presses very well from the front and can deliver a good cross from wide areas, if he finds himself out there.



However, while he has excellent striking technique and is a decent passer, he lacks the close control to create himself some space in tight areas. He is almost wholly reliant on pace and struggles when he is not getting the space to open his legs. A deep lying, packed defence, is something that Vardy really does not cope well with. His ability is best on quick transitions, the lightning counter attack with a ball over the top for him to run onto and hit.



A team dominating possession and looking for him to get involved in passing the ball around and creating space through quick one-twos would not suit him. What Vardy wants is a ball dropping over his shoulder for him to burst onto or hit first time. When asked to play any other way he struggles, he does not have that appreciation of space and time some players have, he wants everything played at 100 miles an hour.