He may be 37 now, but Jamie Vardy continues to defy the odds as Leicester City’s talisman.
Steve Cooper will consider himself very lucky to have a fit and firing Jamie Vardy to help him guide Leicester City to Premier League safety this season.
So far, Vardy has scored in both of Leicester’s draws in the first four league matches of the campaign, netting against Tottenham Hotspur on the opening weekend before putting the Foxes ahead in the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
What makes this all the more remarkable is the fact Vardy did not have a pre-season after being absent through injury from the first friendly of the summer before unexpectedly returning for the Spurs match.
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Robbie Mustoe speaks on admiration of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy
There have been few more prolific goal scorers than Vardy over the last decade and the veteran striker is showing no signs of slowing down.
Having won the Premier League and FA Cup to cement himself as a Leicester legend, Vardy’s objective this season is simply to keep the club in the top flight.
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Former players turned pundits Robbie Mustoe and Robbie Earle discussed Vardy on their The 2 Robbies podcast where both men spoke highly of the marksman.
Mustoe started by saying: “Jamie Vardy, his face, he’s playing like an angry little man, isn’t he?
“It drives him doesn’t it. When he scores a goal it’s like ‘up yours you lot’. I just love him to bits, love him to bits, everything about him, his drive is remarkable.”
Earle added: “37 mate… Hasn’t lost the pace has he and hasn’t lost the hunger and the drive.”
Vardy will need help to keep Leicester City in the Premier League
Whilst it would take a brave person to write Vardy off, he will not be able to single-handedly keep the Foxes up this season.
Cooper signed Odsonne Edouard on loan from Palace to help with this on Deadline Day and the striker could make his debut at some point in the six-pointer against Everton at the King Power on Saturday.
Vardy will need his minutes managed as the season goes on and the arrival of Edouard will help with that, as well as the return of Patson Daka from injury, but it is unclear when that will be.
Stephy Mavidi scored on his first league start of the season in the 2-2 draw with Palace and showed last season he knows where the goal is, whilst the hope will be that Jordan Ayew and Bobby De Cordova-Reid can chip in too.
Facundo Buonanotte and Bilal El Khannouss have both arrived to provide the creativity, so there is no reason for Leicester to be wholly reliant on Vardy once everyone is settled.