Jamie Vardy is a man synonymous to all affiliated to Leicester City.
Having won the Premier League, Championship twice, one FA Cup and a Community Shield, Vardy is a living Leicester legend.
His wind-up merchant behaviour has also led to away fans mocking Vardy in the past, only for him to get the last laugh.
Sadly, his club form never really transferred to the international stage, as the number nine found chances few and far between with England.
Still, he was popular amongst the Three Lions fanbase, so much so that a charity single was recorded in tribute to the Foxes forward.
Football fans released ‘Vardy’s on Fire’ charity song for 2018 World Cup
Vardy was fortunate enough to represent England at Euro 2016 and then the 2018 World Cup, where the Three Lions went all the way to the semi-finals.
His time with England coincided with the departure of Roy Hodgson and arrival of Gareth Southgate.
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Fresh optimism was felt around the country but unlike previous editions, there was no official World Cup song.
Thankfully, some football fans took the England chant of ‘Vardy’s on fire, your defence is terrified!” “Jamie Vardy’s ‘avin a party!’, based on the hit ‘Freed from Desire’ by Gala.
The song was recorded by a group known as the S6 – a postcode in Sheffield – with all proceeds donated to the Offside Trust, a charity dedicated to helping safeguard children in sport.
It was a chant first adopted at Euro 2016, and although Leicester fans aren’t usually heard singing it at club level, it’s still as catchy as ever to this day.
Why did Jamie Vardy stop playing for England?
Technically speaking, Vardy has never officially retired for England.
His last appearance for the national team came during the 2018 World Cup where he featured as a bit-part player.
Aged 32 at the time, the forward told The Guardian that he had told Southgate that he wanted to focus on club football and spend more time with family.
He said: “I’m not getting any younger and you can see, to be fair to the gaffer, he wants to make it more youthful, which obviously had its benefits during the World Cup. We got to the semi-finals and finished fourth, which is equal to the furthest we have ever been on foreign soil.
“So I just said to Gareth I think it’s probably best from now on, especially with the way he wants to go, to bring youngsters in who he thinks have got the ability and start nurturing them into international football.”
Since then, speculation about a possible return to the national team set up was mooted, but the forward hasn’t been selected since.