Jamie Vardy will go down in history as one of the Premier League’s most exciting players.
The Leicester City legend really is one of a kind, and his matchday preparations prove it.
While most top-flight players are meticulous in their approach to games and focus their attention on sleep, nutrition, hydration and mental resilience, Vardy’s pre-match routine is a little different.
Forget stretching, taking a slow walk, and meditating — Vardy’s regime is a little more hardcore.
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Jamie Vardy’s pre-match routine includes cans of Red Bull and Monster
The English striker was spotted drinking a can of Red Bull in the Stamford Bridge tunnel when Leicester City played Chelsea last year. Although the Blues went on to win that game 2-1, it was Vardy’s preparations that sparked the most debate.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ ‘Making it Pro’ in 2020, Vardy admitted his go-to diet before games is to load up on caffeine.
“I wake up in the morning and then [have a] Red Bull. Literally I get out of bed, get the kids up and downstairs, get their breakfast sorted and then I’m straight into the Red Bull,” the forward said.
“After that we meet at the stadium for pre-match and while I’m getting changed I’ll have a coffee – it’s better than taking ProPlus. Red Bull, coffee and then when we get over to the pre-match lounge, I’ll have my cheese and ham omelette with another can of Red Bull.”
Responding to questions about how he can digest such a large amount of caffeine, the forward said: “I think when you’ve done it for so many years I think it just gets used to it, it’s not an issue whatsoever. It’s one of them things, it’s not going to work for everyone.
“To be fair, I’ve probably cut back because I’m only on a little can of Red Bull now whereas before when I was at Fleetwood I used to have the big cans of Monster – I used to have two of them as well.”
Port cocktail superstition
Although not so much part of his preparations these days, Vardy has, in the past, admitted to mixing vodka with Skittles and drinking port out of a Lucazade bottle before a big game.
“I can’t say why it started, because I genuinely don’t know, but I decided to drink a glass of port on the eve of every game in the 2015-16 season,” he wrote in his 2016 autobiography ‘From Nowhere, My Story’.
“I’m not normally superstitious but from the moment I scored against Sunderland on the opening day, I didn’t want to change anything.”
“I fill a small plastic water or Lucozade bottle to halfway and just sip the port while watching television. It tastes like Ribena to me, and it helps me switch off and get to sleep a bit easier the night before a game.”
So there you have it folks, a truly fascinating insight into the life of not just any professional footballer, but the one who holds the Premier League’s record for most consecutive games (11) scored in.