Jamie Richard Vardy (Sheffield, 11-1-1987) se convirtió en el estandarte del Leicester que, a las órdenes de Claudio Ranieri, conquistó la Premier League más inverosímil de la historia en la 2015-16. En un año pasaron de eludir el descenso ‘in extremis’ a derrocar a City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham… y ganar la Liga.
Vardy era el icono y el último vestigio de un once que se recitaba de memoria: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Kanté, Albrighton; Okazaki… y Vardy. Ya no queda nadie. Ni del once… ni en plantilla. “Nuestro mejor jugador de todos los tiempos, Jamie Vardy, dejará el Leicester City este verano”, ha anunciado en Leicester en su cuenta de ‘X’.
“Ha llegado el momento… pero me siento devastado”
“Queridos aficionados del Leicester, me siento desolado, pero sabía que este día llegaría. He pasado 13 años increíbles en este club, con muchos éxitos y algunos baches, pero la mayoría han sido buenos momentos. Ha llegado la hora de dar por finalizada esta etapa, lo cual me deja devastado, pero creo que es el momento adecuado. Leicester siempre, siempre tendrá un lugar importante en mi corazón”, ha afirmado Vardy.
Atrás quedan 13 años, 496 títulos, 69 goles, dos ascensos y cinco títulos. Vardy no sólo ganó la Premier con el Leicester. Conquistó, además, una Copa (2020-21), una Supercopa (2021) y dos Ligas de Segunda división (2013-14 y 2023-24). Ganó, además, el premio de ‘Jugador del Año’ en la Premier 2015-16 y se proclamó ‘pichichi’ en la 2019-20.
Trabajó en una fábrica y pasó de Quinta al Leicester
La historia de Vardy es la de un ‘cuento de hadas’, el de la Cenicienta. Se curtió en la ‘Non-League’ (fútbol amateur): Stocksbridge Park Steels, Halifax Town, Fleetwood Town… Hay más: trabajaba en una fábrica de prótesis, portaba una tobillera electrónica y tenía toque de queda tras protagonizar una pelea en un bar.
En 2012, a pesar de sus ‘antecedentes’, pasó de la Quinta división al Leicester previo pago 1,24 millones de euros. Sus hábitos tampoco eran los mejores. “Me tomo una lata de Red Bull recién levantado de la cama que me dura treinta segundos”, confesó en 2016.
“Me tomo una lata de Red Bull recién levantado de la cama que me dura treinta segundos
“Tiene una manera peculiar de cuidarse , pero no está a este nivel con 37 años por casualidad. Es alguien muy especial para el Leicester y sigue marcando diferencias”, reconocía Ricardo Pereira, hace un año, cuando lideró el regreso de los ‘foxes’ a la Premier con 18 goles, a MARCA.
Con todo y con eso cambió la historia del Leicester para siempre. El cántico de “Jamie Vardy is having a party” (Vardy sigue de fiesta) se convirtió en un clásico. Su racha de 11 partidos marcando de forma consecutiva -rompió el récord de Van Nistelrooy- fue la ‘rampa de lanzamiento’ que impulso al Leicester a conquistar la Premier y llevó a ‘JV9’ a ser internacional con Inglaterra (26 partidos, 7 goles).
Para fiesta, claro, la que celebró en su casa a la espera de que el Tottenham ‘pinchara’ ante el Chelsea -como finalmente sucedió- para celebrar el alirón del Leicester. Poco a poco todos se fueron (Kanté, Mahrez, Schmeichel…), pero Vardy se quedó.
La fiesta del Leicester para celebrar la conquista de la Premier 2015-16.
Ahora, con 38 años, abandona el Leicester con el dolor de no haber podido eludir un nuevo descenso… a pesar de sus siete goles y tres asistencias: “Siento que acabemos la temporada 2025 con un espectáculo tan de mierda”.
Poco importa. El Leicester despedirá con honores, como se merece, a su GOAT. “Jamie es único. Es un jugador especial y una persona aún más especial. Ocupa un lugar en los corazones de todos los que están relacionados con el Leicester City, y ciertamente tiene mi más profundo respeto y afecto”, reconoce el presidente Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.
Jamie es único. Es un jugador especial y una persona aún más especial
Vardy se va, pero su fiesta sigue. Su legado es eterno. Su marcha, sin embargo, pone fin a la historia más bonita jamás contada en el ‘football’: la del Leicester campeón de la Premier 2015-16. Contra todo y contra todos.
This news was originally published on this post .
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