Jamie Vardy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jamie Vardy

Vardy with England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Jamie Richard Vardy
Birth name	Jamie Richard Gill
Date of birth	(1987-01-11) 11 January 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.79 m)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
	Sheffield Wednesday
2003–2006	Stocksbridge Park Steels
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2010	Stocksbridge Park Steels	88	(40)
2010–2011	FC Halifax Town	37	(26)
2011–2012	Fleetwood Town	36	(31)
2012–2025	Leicester City	440	(183)
International career
2015–2018	England	26	(7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:12, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

Jamie Richard Vardy (born 11 January 1987) is an English professional footballer. He plays as a striker. He recently played for and was captain of Premier League club Leicester City. He is currently a free agent, meaning he is not signed to any club.

Jamie Vardy was released by Sheffield Wednesday when he was 16. He then started his senior career with Stocksbridge Park Steels. He joined Northern Premier League club FC Halifax Town in 2010. He scored 25 goals in his first season. After that, he moved to Conference Premier club Fleetwood Town in August 2011. He scored 31 league goals in his first season there. His goals helped Fleetwood Town win their division.

Vardy joined Leicester City in May 2012. The transfer fee was a record for a player from a non-league team. He helped Leicester win the EFL Championship in 2014. In the 2015–16 Premier League season, he scored in eleven games in a row. This broke a record set by Ruud van Nistelrooy. Vardy was named the Premier League Player of the Season. Leicester City, who were not expected to win, became champions that year. He also won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2019–20 season. He was the oldest player to win this award. Leicester won the 2021 FA Cup and the 2021 FA Community Shield. After Leicester was relegated in 2023, Vardy became captain. He led the team to win the EFL Championship in 2024, helping them get promoted back to the Premier League. He played his last game for Leicester City in May 2025. He scored 200 goals in 500 games for the club.

Vardy played for the England national team starting in June 2015. He played in UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He stopped playing for England after the 2018 World Cup.

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Jamie Vardy was born in Sheffield, England, on January 11, 1987. He grew up in the Hillsborough area of Sheffield. His mother worked in a law office. His stepfather was a crane worker. Vardy was a big fan of Sheffield Wednesday. He looked up to their striker, David Hirst. He saw the strong rivalry between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United. He enjoyed the exciting atmosphere of these local derby games. Vardy even celebrated some of his goals against Sheffield United fans.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Football

Vardy with Stocksbridge Park Steels in 2007 (back row, third from right)

Vardy was part of the youth team at Sheffield Wednesday. However, he was released when he was 16 years old. He then joined Stocksbridge Park Steels. He earned £30 a week there. He played for their reserve team first. In 2006, he made his first team debut. His big breakthrough came in the 2007–08 season. Other professional clubs became interested in him. In 2009, he had a trial with Crewe Alexandra. However, a move did not happen. He also turned down a short contract with Rotherham United.

Vardy scored 55 goals for Stocksbridge Park Steels. He helped them win the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup. They also got promoted to the Northern Premier League in 2009.

In June 2010, Neil Aspin, a manager who admired Vardy, signed him for FC Halifax Town. The fee was £15,000. He played his first game on August 21, 2010. He scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against Buxton. Vardy had a great first season with Halifax. He was their top goalscorer with 25 goals. He was also voted the Players' Player of the Season. His goals helped Halifax win the Northern Premier League Premier Division title in 2011.

Success with Fleetwood Town

Vardy playing for Fleetwood Town in 2012

After just over a year at Halifax, Vardy joined Conference Premier club Fleetwood Town. He made his debut on the same day. He scored his first goals for Fleetwood in his third game. He scored twice in a 3–2 win against Kettering Town. He continued to score many goals. In October, he scored three goals in one game against Alfreton Town.

In November, Vardy scored in his sixth game in a row. This brought his total to ten goals in that period. He won the Conference Premier Player of the Month award for November. In December, he helped Fleetwood win against Yeovil Town in the FA Cup.

On January 1, 2012, Vardy scored twice in a 6–0 win. A few days later, Blackpool offered £750,000 for him. Fleetwood rejected the offer. They wanted £1 million. Vardy scored another three goals in February. This helped Fleetwood stay at the top of the league. On April 13, Vardy scored two goals against Lincoln City. The next day, Fleetwood won the Conference title. This meant they were promoted to the Football League for the first time. Vardy finished the season as the top scorer in the Conference Premier with 31 goals.

Joining Leicester City

2012–2014: Moving Up to the Championship

Vardy (left) warming up for Leicester City in 2013

On May 17, 2012, Jamie Vardy signed with Championship club Leicester City. The fee was £1 million, a record for a non-league player. He signed a three-year contract. On August 14, Vardy played his first game for Leicester. He scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Torquay United. Four days later, he made his Football League debut. He set up a goal for Andy King. He scored his first league goal on August 25.

Vardy's first season at Leicester was a bit tough. He struggled with his form. Some fans criticized him. He even thought about leaving football. But manager Nigel Pearson and assistant manager Craig Shakespeare convinced him to stay.

The next season, Vardy's performance improved greatly. He became a key goalscorer for Leicester. On January 10, 2014, he scored and won a penalty in a 4–1 win against Derby County. Vardy finished the season with 16 league goals. Leicester was promoted to the Premier League as champions. He was also named Leicester's Players' Player of the Season.

2014–2015: Premier League Debut

On August 19, 2014, Vardy extended his contract until 2018. He missed the first two games due to injury. He made his Premier League debut on August 31, 2014. He came on as a substitute against Arsenal. On September 21, Vardy had an amazing game against Manchester United. He scored his first Premier League goal. He also set up four other goals. Leicester came back from 3–1 down to win 5–3.

On April 11, 2015, Vardy scored a winning goal in the 90th minute. Leicester beat West Bromwich Albion 3–2. He continued his strong form in April. He was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award. Leicester finished the 2014–15 season in 14th place. Vardy scored the first goal in a 5–1 win against Queens Park Rangers on the final day.

2015–2016: Premier League Champions

Vardy playing for Leicester City in 2015

Vardy started the 2015–16 season well. He scored the first goal in a 4–2 win against Sunderland. On September 26, he scored two goals in a 5–2 loss to Arsenal. This meant he had already scored seven league goals.

On October 24, he scored the only goal in a win against Crystal Palace. This was his seventh league game in a row with a goal. He scored in his eighth game in a row on October 31. This made him only the third player to do so in the Premier League. A week later, he scored a penalty against Watford. This extended his scoring run to nine games. Vardy became the first player to score in nine consecutive games in a single Premier League season. For his excellent form, Vardy won the Premier League Player of the Month award for October 2015. He was the first Leicester player to win it since 2000.

On November 21, Vardy matched Ruud van Nistelrooy's record. He scored in his tenth consecutive Premier League game. A week later, against Manchester United, he scored again. This broke the record, making it eleven games in a row. His scoring run ended on December 5. He did not score in a 3–0 win against Swansea City. Vardy won the Premier League Player of the Month award again for November. He was given a certificate from Guinness World Records for his achievement.

Vardy celebrating Leicester City's Premier League title victory with his family in 2016

In January 2016, manager Claudio Ranieri said Vardy and Riyad Mahrez were "priceless." On February 2, Vardy scored two goals against Liverpool. One of them was a fantastic long-distance shot. Four days later, he signed a new contract until 2019. On April 10, Vardy scored two goals against Sunderland. He became the first Leicester player since Gary Lineker in 1984–85 to score 20 goals in the top division. This result also meant Leicester qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. A week later, Vardy scored against West Ham United. However, he was later sent off for diving. He was suspended for two games.

Vardy scored 24 league goals that season. He was the second-highest scorer in the Premier League. He was one of four Leicester players in the PFA Team of the Year. He was also named the FWA Footballer of the Year and the 2016 Barclays Premier League Player of the Season.

2016–2017: Champions League Debut

Vardy (left) playing for Leicester City in 2017

On June 3, 2016, Arsenal offered £22 million for Vardy. Leicester offered him a better contract. 20 days later, he agreed to a new four-year deal. Vardy turned down Arsenal's offer. He preferred Leicester's style of play, which focused on quick counter-attacks.

On August 7, 2016, he scored in a 2–1 loss to Manchester United in the 2016 FA Community Shield. On December 10, Vardy scored three goals against Manchester City. This was his first professional hat-trick. Leicester won 4–2. A week later, he was sent off against Stoke City. He was suspended for three games.

Vardy scored his first Champions League goal on February 22, 2017. It was in a 2–1 loss to Sevilla. On April 18, he scored Leicester's equalizing goal against Atlético Madrid. However, Leicester was still knocked out of the competition.

2017–2019: Continued Goalscoring

Vardy playing for Leicester City in 2017

Vardy started his sixth season at Leicester by scoring two goals. This was in a 4–3 loss to Arsenal on the opening day of the 2017–18 season. On October 16, Vardy played his 200th game for the club. On December 23, 2017, Vardy scored his 50th Premier League goal. This was in a 2–2 draw against Manchester United.

He scored twice in the final game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur. This meant he reached 20 goals in the Premier League for the second time. He played 42 games in total, scoring 23 goals. Leicester finished 9th in the Premier League. Vardy won the BBC Goal of the Season award for a goal against West Bromwich Albion.

On August 9, 2018, Vardy signed a new four-year contract. He started the 2018–19 season as a substitute. He scored a late goal against Manchester United. He was sent off in the next game. On March 9, 2019, Vardy scored his 100th goal for Leicester. He scored two goals in a 3–1 win over Fulham. On April 28, 2019, he scored two more goals against Arsenal. This brought his total league goals for Leicester to 100.

2019–2020: Golden Boot Winner

Vardy (left) playing for Leicester City in 2019

On October 25, 2019, Vardy scored three goals in a 9–0 win against Southampton. On July 4, 2020, Vardy scored his 100th and 101st Premier League goals. This was in a 3–0 win over Crystal Palace. He became the first Leicester player to reach 100 Premier League goals. He was also the 29th player overall to do so.

With 23 goals, he won the Premier League Golden Boot for the first time. He was the oldest player to win this award at 33 years old.

2020–2022: FA Cup and Community Shield

On August 26, 2020, Vardy signed a new contract until June 2023. On September 27, he scored his second hat-trick against Manchester City. This was in a 5–2 away win. On October 25, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Arsenal. This was Leicester City's first away win against Arsenal since 1973. On December 6, Vardy scored a late goal against Sheffield United. While celebrating, he slid into a corner flag. He later signed the flag and gave it to Leicester's LGBT+ supporters group. On May 15, 2021, he played in the 2021 FA Cup final. Leicester beat Chelsea 1–0, winning the FA Cup for the first time. Vardy became the first player to play in every round of the competition. Before the 2021–22 season, Leicester won the 2021 FA Community Shield against Manchester City.

2022–2024: Relegation and Promotion

In the 2022–23 season, Leicester City was fighting to avoid relegation. Vardy said that avoiding relegation would be his greatest achievement. However, Leicester City was relegated after finishing 18th in the league. After captain Jonny Evans left, manager Enzo Maresca named Vardy the new club captain for the 2023–24 EFL Championship season. On April 29, 2024, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Preston. This win secured the Championship title for Leicester City. It meant they were promoted straight back to the Premier League.

2024–2025: Final Season at Leicester

On June 7, 2024, Vardy announced he had signed a new one-year deal with Leicester. On August 19, in Leicester's first game back in the Premier League, Vardy scored an equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. After Leicester City was relegated again in the 2024–25 season, Vardy called it a "total embarrassment." He apologized to the fans.

On April 24, 2025, it was announced that Vardy would leave Leicester at the end of the 2024–25 season. He was the last player remaining from Leicester's 2016 title-winning team.

Vardy's last game for Leicester was on May 18, 2025. It was the club's last home game of the season against Ipswich Town. This game was also his 500th appearance for Leicester. It happened exactly 13 years after he first signed with the club. In this game, Vardy scored his 200th goal for Leicester. He left the field to a standing ovation as Leicester won 2–0.

International Career with England

Vardy playing for England at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

On May 21, 2015, Vardy was called up to the England national team for the first time. He made his debut on June 7 in a game against the Republic of Ireland. He replaced Wayne Rooney for the last 15 minutes. On August 30, Vardy was called up again for England's Euro 2016 qualifying matches. He started in a 6–0 win against San Marino. Vardy scored his first international goal on March 26, 2016. He scored with a back heel in a 3–2 win against Germany. He scored again three days later against the Netherlands.

Vardy made his tournament debut on June 16 at UEFA Euro 2016. He came off the bench to score an equalizing goal against Wales. England came from behind to win 2–1. During the tournament, there were rumors of disagreements between Vardy and fellow striker Rooney. However, manager Roy Hodgson denied these rumors.

Vardy was part of the 23-man England squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He played sparingly during the tournament. He started only one group stage match against Belgium. England reached the World Cup semi-finals. On August 28, 2018, Vardy decided to step aside from the England national team. He told manager Gareth Southgate he did not want to be chosen unless there was an injury crisis.

Player Profile and Style

Journey from Non-League Football

Vardy's path to the top level of football is special. He spent a long time playing in non-league football. Before he played in the Premier League at age 27, he had played in many lower divisions. He believes that starting later in the Premier League helps him stay fit and play intensely even in his mid-thirties. He feels his speed is still good.

Experts have compared Vardy's playing style to non-league football. Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said Vardy played like a non-league player in the Premier League. He meant Vardy was raw and aggressive. But Neville also noted that Vardy's game became more refined over time.

How Jamie Vardy Plays

In 2020, FourFourTwo magazine called Vardy one of the best strikers in the world. They praised his excellent finishing, speed, and awareness of where to be on the field. Ian Wright, another player who rose from non-league football, compared Vardy to Salvatore Schillaci. Schillaci was a late bloomer who became a top scorer. Wright describes Vardy as a hard-working player with a good first touch. He constantly challenges defenders. Vardy plays by instinct, not just by what his managers tell him.

Vardy usually plays as a central striker. However, he can play in different attacking positions, including as a winger. Besides scoring goals, Vardy is known for his high work rate. He runs a lot and takes a direct approach. He is good with both feet and can link up play with teammates. He is a very fast and dynamic striker. He has good positioning and knows how to find space. These skills allow him to run past defenders and stretch opposing teams. Combined with his speed and clinical finishing, he is a big threat on counter-attacks. This style fits Leicester City's teams well. Vardy is also good at taking penalties. He has scored 26 penalties in the Premier League. He can also hit the ball powerfully with either foot. Gary Neville said Vardy's approach inspires his teammates. He sets the pace and makes everyone else work hard.

Focus and Training Approach

Jamie Vardy faced some challenges early in his career at Leicester City. He needed to improve his focus and dedication to training. The club's vice-chairman talked with him about his goals. After that, Vardy became more serious about his training.

Some experts believe Vardy became more focused after an incident outside a nightclub. Also, the arrival of his first daughter, Ella, helped him become more stable.

During UEFA Euro 2016, Vardy spoke about his unusual lifestyle choices. He mentioned that he does not train in a gym. He also said he consumes Red Bull caffeinated drinks.

Personal Life and Other Ventures

Vardy's wife Rebekah supporting him at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Vardy is a lifelong fan of Sheffield Wednesday. Before becoming a professional footballer, he worked as a technician. He made medical splints. In August 2015, Vardy apologized for using inappropriate language at a casino. Leicester fined him and sent him on an educational course.

Vardy met Rebekah Nicholson in 2014. They married on May 25, 2016, at Peckforton Castle. David Nugent was his best man. Vardy has four biological children. Three are with his wife, and one is from a previous relationship. He is also a stepfather to two children from his wife's previous relationships.

In November 2015, Vardy started V9 Academy. This is a camp that helps non-league players. It offers coaching and a chance to show their skills to scouts from professional clubs. The same month, Stocksbridge Park Steels named their main stand after him. In December 2015, the food company Walkers released a special 'Vardy Salted' crisp flavor. This was to celebrate his goalscoring. Adrian Butchart, who wrote the Goal! football films, finished a script for a movie about Vardy in 2016. Vardy is also an ambassador for Dorothy Goodman School. This is a special needs school in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

On June 15, 2021, Vardy bought a small share in an American soccer club. It was called Rochester Rhinos, later renamed Rochester New York FC. Vardy was a co-owner of the club. The club stopped operating in March 2023.

Career Statistics

Club Summary

International Summary

England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Vardy goal

List of international goals scored by Jamie Vardy

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	26 March 2016	Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany	5	Germany	2–2	3–2	Friendly
2	29 March 2016	Wembley Stadium, London, England	6	Netherlands	1–0	1–2	Friendly
3	22 May 2016	City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England	7	Turkey	2–1	2–1	Friendly
4	16 June 2016	Stade Bollaert-Delelis, Lens, France	9	Wales	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2016
5	15 November 2016	Wembley Stadium, London, England	14	Spain	2–0	2–2	Friendly
6	26 March 2017	Wembley Stadium, London, England	16	Lithuania	2–0	2–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
7	27 March 2018	Wembley Stadium, London, England	21	Italy	1–0	1–1	Friendly

Awards and Achievements

Stocksbridge Park Steels

• Northern Premier League Division One South play-offs: 2008–09
• Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup: 2008–09

FC Halifax Town

• Northern Premier League Premier Division: 2010–11

Fleetwood Town

• Conference Premier: 2011–12

Leicester City

• Premier League: 2015–16
• FA Cup: 2020–21
• Football League Championship/EFL Championship: 2013–14, 2023–24
• FA Community Shield: 2021

Individual Awards

• Premier League Player of the Season: 2015–16
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 2015–16
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2019–20
• Premier League Player of the Month: October 2015, November 2015, April 2019, October 2019
• Premier League Goal of the Month: March 2018
• BBC Goal of the Season: 2017–18
• PFA Team of the Year: 2015–16 Premier League, 2019–20 Premier League
• Conference Premier Player of the Month: November 2011
• Conference Premier Team of the Year: 2011–12
• Conference Premier Top Goalscorer: 2011–12
• Leicester City Player of the Season: 2019–20, 2024–25
• Leicester City Players' Player of the Season: 2013–14, 2019–20, 2024–25
• Premier League Milestone Award (100 goals), (300 appearances)
• Northern Premier League's Greatest Player: 1978–2018
• Northern Premier League's Greatest XI: 1978–2018

See also

In Spanish: Jamie Vardy para niños