He’s 37 now. The times when his team was a football miracle are long gone – eight years ago, to be precise. And his glorious days were believed to be in the past as well, but then he decided to show everyone he still had what it takes. As if he thought, Look, everyone, I’m still here, I’m still up and running.Jamie Vardy has scored 103 Premier League goals since turning 30.The next player on that list is on 93.🍷 pic.twitter.com/q3KfBkuPJb— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 20, 2024 Jamie Vardy – the local hero and the hero of all those who love football for what this beautiful game once was. Ready to fight, ready to provoke, ready to drink in a bar the night before a match and then shine with a goal or two as if he spent that night sleeping like a baby.Jamie Vardy downs a Red Bull at half time and scores 12 minutes later pic.twitter.com/U6v9RBkYuL— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) August 19, 2024 Yesterday, he probably woke up, had his favourite matchday meal, cheese and ham omelette, drank a few double espressos, three Red Bulls, perhaps even a glass of his wine of choice, Port wine, and then headed to the stadium to captain his team in Premier League.But not to any stadium and not any team. King Power Stadium and Leicester City – his home for 12 years now. The club he remained loyal to even when a dozen European sides went wild about him and dreamed of having him in their ranks. He showed integrity and stayed faithful to The Foxes – the first club that believed in him and gave him a proper chance (excluding lower-league sides Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax, and Fleetwood).Jamie Vardy: “Leaving Leicester City? No way! They wanted me when nobody else did. I won’t let them down.” pic.twitter.com/oKN0x6Tg9L— GoatTop Sports (@goattopsports) December 27, 2023 In today’s football, full of infallibility and all sorts of correctness, it’s not easy being Jamie Vardy. But it’s satisfying. While all the other players watch their nutrition, he eats just like any “regular” person. While all the other players spend hours in the gym, he skips those sessions because it would slow him down. Vardy is, as the Latins would say, rara avis. A rare bird. One of a kind.The fox is more cunning than the rooster, and Vardy is the Spurs’ nightmare!And yes, occasionally, he would celebrate his goals in front of the rival crowd or provoke them as he did to the Spurs fans last night, reminding them that Leicester won the Premier League and they didn’t. And many would call him names and condemn his behaviour, but that’s just because we’ve become too spoiled and too sensitive to suck it up and try to settle the score next time while admitting that someone simply outsmarted us and saying, Hats off to you, mate.Jamie Vardy reminded Spurs fans he’s got a Prem title and they haven’t 💀 pic.twitter.com/qObafitLtL— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 19, 2024 We are now used to some other sort of football, the “clean” one, but the question is where’s the charm? Did we lose that charm of small pitches in our neighbourhoods where everything was allowed, and yet everyone played with honour? There are many rules in today’s football, but is there honour? We’ll leave that to you to assess.##NAJAVA_MECA_8284462##Anyway, Jamie Vardy is and always will be the hero of those who spend their after-work time or weekends on those same football fields in the neighbourhoods, battling it out with friends after a hearty meal – perhaps cheese and ham omelette with some wine – and before they drink a beer or a Red Bull (just like Vardy did at half time break last night) to celebrate the victory or heal the wounds of defeat. Because we’re all Jamie Vardy, and Jamie Vardy is each of us.
