Jamie Vardy was back to his best, helping Leicester City peg back Tottenham Hotspur to a 1-1 draw in their Premier League opener.
The 37-year-old striker, a rejuvenated figure lighting up the Premier League again, provided one of those typical Vardy moments on and off the field.
Vardy came to the rescue in the 57th minute, equalizing after Leicester had been pinned back for most of the game. Steve Cooper’s Leicester side saw little of the ball throughout the entire game. Such was the issue that even an injury doubt was hanging over Vardy. However, he again proved his mettle, offering another reminder as to why he is still one of those Premier League forces.
But it wasn’t just his goal that was the talking point, of course; he couldn’t resist winding up the fans either as he headed for the exit in the 79th minute.
Vardy made sure to gesture towards the away supporters on the exit, pointing to the badge of the Premier League on his shirt sleeve, then himself, with one finger high in the air, for the title win from that remarkable Leicester season in 2015-16.
He then pointed back at the badge to nothing of the Spurs fans—a real reminder with a cheeky flare, surely, that Tottenham still have not won a Premier League title.
Adding to the drama, Vardy became embroiled in a furious row with Cristian Romero, the Argentine defender of Tottenham, as he left the pitch. He reportedly told Vardy to “f*** off” during the fallout, which showed just how aggressive the situation was.
Quizzed about it after the game, Vardy has largely played down the exchange, describing it as part of a game’s natural give and take. “You take a bit of stick during the game, but it’s part of football. As long as they can take it when I’m giving it back, that’s all that matters,” he told Sky Sports.
The display earned him praise from football pundits, with even former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher marvelling at Vardy’s performance and the banter in his late taunt.
“Thank God Jamie Vardy went and saw Steve Cooper midweek and said he was ready to play,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “Never change, Jamie Vardy.”
The strike against Spurs was the ninth Premier League goal he has netted against the North London club—only Arsenal and Watford have conceded more to the prolific forward. They are moments that add yet more weight to his case for being regarded as a top-class striker, even now at the ripe age of 37 years and with 103 goals since turning 30.
It wasn’t just Carragher who was bowled over. Fellow pundit Gary Neville also eulogized Vardy’s adaptability as he grew older, pointing to how the striker’s end product hasn’t appropriated, despite having lost a yard or two off that blistering pace.
“I thought he would find it difficult to adapt his game, but he’s still going at 37,” Neville said on Sky Sports.
It was a performance that had secured a point for Leicester but had also brought back to everyone’s attention a maverick to be cherished within the English game. Vardy might be detested by his opponents and their fans, but the Premier League is richer for such a character. We reported earlier that he has signed a new contract with the Foxes and will hope to play an integral role in the ongoing 2024-25 Premier League season.
