Jamie Vardy and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia and Jamie Vardy. There is something about the union that just feels right. The striker is a Premier League champion, England international and scorer of no less than 136 top flight goals. He is also 36, right in the wheelhouse of the veteran-hungry Saudi Pro League.
The Red Bull-fuelled powerhouse also has attributes many Premier League clubs would crave. Despite his advancing years, he played 37 games last season. Vardy’s fitness levels are high and his veteran presence and admirable finishing would be an asset for many sides.
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But despite their viability, neither of these scenarios will play out this season. Instead, Vardy could line up in Leicester City’s Championship opener against Coventry City. While the Foxes confront their first season of second tier football in a decade, they do so with one of their all-time greats in the side.
At the age of 36 and in a physically demanding league, it remains to be seen what Vardy can offer on the pitch in the Championship. His last spell here was fruitful. Vardy’s 16 league goals were a huge part of Leicester getting promoted to the Premier League in the first place. He has improved immeasurably since then, winning 26 England caps.
But there has been a decline in Vardy brought on naturally by age. Having struck double figures in each of the last seven Premier League seasons, Vardy scored just three league goals last term. A combination of advancing years and a misfiring team that would eventually go down made the striker look oddly human.
It is why Vardy must be applauded for not taking the easy way out. A player of his profile could have earned astronomical sums in the Middle East. He could have warmed the bench at a Premier League club, called upon for substitute cameos here and there. But instead he will wear the blue shirt with which he is synonymous. It is a question of legacy and Vardy could be about to enhance one of the greatest in Foxes history.
If Vardy rediscovers his scoring touch and takes Leicester back to the Premier League, it will rank right up there with his career achievements. Vardy has experienced the highest of highs at Leicester. The talismanic forward has lifted the Premier League title and the FA Cup. He was one of the most important parts of their rise from relegation candidates to Champions League club. Now Vardy can be a vital cog in the promotion machine.
Vardy will go down as one of football’s truly unique talents. Whether due to his pre-match diet, adjacency to the falling-out between his wife Rebekah and Colleen Rooney or his loyalty to Leicester when the likes of Arsenal came knocking; Vardy is an anomaly. His decision to stick it out at the King Power and try and see his side promoted is another feather in one of football’s most scintillating caps. The eclectic Vardy story is nearing its end. But Vardy firing Leicester back where they belong would be some climax.
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