Jamie Vardy is ranked 16th in 90min’s European Player of the Year series.
Although Jamie Vardy isn’t a young man, he has made his mark on European football late in his career following Leicester’s miraculous title-winning season in 2015/16.
The Red Bull-drinking goal machine has scored 96 goals in 193 games for Leicester since their promotion in 2014, and currently tops the Premier League top-scorers chart for 2019/20 with 17 goals in 18 games.
He has had a year to remember, scoring an impressive 29 goals this calendar year. Not too bad for a 32-year-old, is it? Ranking at number 16, he can only be described as world-class, purely for his unbelievable goalscoring prowess.
Hat-Trick Hero at St Mary’s (25/10/19)
Not only was this a defining moment in Vardy’s year, but for the Premier League as a whole. The Englishman scored Leicester’s ninth against Southampton as they ran rampant on the south coast.
A fine turn before a composed finish for his first, and a bullet header for his second saw Leicester shoot up the table into a position which they have occupied since, second place. A late penalty sealed the 9-0 victory and a hat-trick for the 32-year-old.
Scoring his first hat-trick of 2019, Vardy’s performance opened the floodgates for the 2019/20 season. He scored in six straight games afterwards, nearly breaking his own goalscoring record set in 2015.
Since, Vardy has scored seven and assisted two as Leicester won six in a row. This performance opened the floodgates this season, with the Englishman replicating his 2015/16 title-winning form.
The Arrival of Brendan Rodgers (26/02/19)
Now, this is not a moment where Vardy showed up and shocked the footballing world. However, this was a crucial appointment which took the Englishman to the next level.
Before Rodgers moved south of the border, Vardy had scored just two goals in 2019. This might not be so shocking, but Rodgers’ first game was played in March. Vardy went on to score nine more goals before the end of the season, followed by another 17 this term.
Fears that Vardy may have been slowing down were creeping in under Claude Puel, but Rodgers’ style of play has brought the best out of the 32 year-old. He now only sits seven goals behind his 15/16 tally, where he fired Leicester to the Premier League title.
Premier League Player of the Month (April and October)
October proved to be somewhat a turning point in Vardy’s season. Four goals during that month, including a hat-trick against Southampton secured his status as the Premier League Player of the Month having scored just five goals up to that point.
However, this is not the first time that he has won the award this year. He netted five times during April under Rodgers’ revival, which boosted his side up to eighth place. A brace against Champions League-chasing Arsenal, as well as goals against West Ham and Huddersfield, saw Vardy hit form.
A Deft Finish (31/08/19)
It may not be the most illustrious moment in Vardy’s career, and it did not win Goal of the Month, but the Englishman’s inch-perfect volley over Aaron Ramsdale was sublime.
Only his second goal of the season, Vardy was played in behind by Ben Chilwell, and some quick thinking and fantastic technique saw the forward lob Ramsdale from 30 yards, a reminder of the quality that Vardy possesses.
It was a goal that likened to that scored by Vardy in Leicester’s title-winning season, as he ran onto a pass that was lofted over the top of the defence and took his chance before the goalkeeper could set himself, a trademark of his.
Eight in a Row (08/12/19)
Vardy already holds the record for the longest scoring run in Premier League history, netting in 11 straight games. However, he was ever so close to smashing this record yet again.
The first in this streak came against Burnley in October and ended in a 1-1 draw with struggling Norwich. He only needed to score in three more consecutive games to match his current record, but it was an impressive run that only he, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Daniel Sturridge could accomplish – an elite list.
With his incredible goalscoring prowess and Leicester flying high, it would not be out of the question for Vardy to achieve this feat once again. He may be growing older, but seems sharper and quicker than his opposition.
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