In English professional football, the goal for many aspiring athletes is to make it to the top and play for the Premier League’s greatest teams. For Jamie Vardy his dream was cut short when he had been released from Sheffield Wednesday’s academy at an age of just sixteen. However, in Vardy’s case the flare wasn’t cut just short and he just wasn’t ready to accept the fate of not making it to the top.
Just four seasons ago Vardy was playing for League One side Fleetwood Town in England’s third tier league of English football and a year before that, at Northern Premier League side FC Halifax Town. At Halifax Town, Vardy achieved good status such as player of the year in his only year whilst scoring 26 goals in one season of the club and when joining Fleetwood he scored 31 goals in his debut season to help Fleetwood win the league while winning a player of the year award yet again.
After Vardy’s breakout seasons with the previous clubs, Premier League side Leicester City signed the striker for a non-league record of 1 million pounds just in time for the season after winning the 2nd Division title just a year before. Vardy over a span of one year in the premier league didn’t give his best of form and was questioned by many Leicester City fans, but was eventually silenced when manager Nigel Pearson convinced hometown fans to believe in Vardy by convincing him to stay. In the following 2013-2014 season Leicester found themselves at the top of the table, in the Football league championship season winning the division with Vardy receiving awards from the club for his great performances.
In this year’s 2015-2016 season Vardy and Leicester City created a story that no one would think of being at the top of the table with six games left after being promoted just 2 years ago with Vardy miraculously being the Premier League’s top scorer. Whilst carrying the team to a dream status Vardy had surpassed Manchester United Legend, Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s scoring record of a goal in 10 straight games by scoring 11 with the record breaking goal coming against United in a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium in December.
Vardy’s rise to the top is a story that couldn’t be thought of with a team that made a miracle a reality in the dying moments of this season. Vardy and Leicester continue their run at the top of English Football with no doubts in sight that their title will slip from them. One can say Jamie Vardy’s rise to the top was a dream but now it can be said that truly anything is possible.
