Jamie Vardy Reveals Genius Reason He Blew Referee’s Whistle

Jamie Vardy has now revealed the real reason why he blew David Webb’s whistle after the referee went down injured midway through the first half of Saturday’s Premier League clash between Leicester City and Southampton. While many football fans assume this is simply the latest in a long line of Vardy wind-up moments, the actual explanation is far more wily.

Webb, making his Premier League debut as a referee, went down holding his face after catching the shoulder of Jordan Ayew. The game continued, with the match official in too much pain to halt play, and only stopped once Vardy – seemingly playfully – blew the injured ref’s whistle.

Too hurt to continue, Webb’s debut was brought to a premature end, and he was subsequently replaced by fourth official Sam Barrott following a 12-minute delay. Watch the incident below:

Vardy is only ranked behind Jose Mourinho on our list of the Premier League’s biggest wind-up merchants and it seemed this was the 38-year-old’s final moment of elite ‘housery’ before he ends his glorious Leicester City spell. The former England international has confirmed that he’ll leave relegated Leicester this summer, although he wants to continue playing in the Premier League.

Related

11 Greatest Leicester City Players in Football History [Ranked]

Throughout history, Leicester City has been home to many famous faces who have won the biggest trophies in football.

Vardy Explains Why He Blew Referee’s Whistle

There was a clever reason behind his thinking

Vardy, who is widely regarded as the greatest player in Leicester’s history, was asked about the incident by another Foxes icon, Gary Lineker, on Match of the Day. It was on the iconic BBC programme that he explained his reasons for blowing Webb’s whistle.

“Did we get a glimpse into your future? I saw you blowing the referees whistle,” Lineker asked Vardy. The livewire striker responded: “No, to be honest with you, I saw Southampton breaking down the left. With the referee down, I thought I’d blow his whistle to stop the game!” Clever thinking. Watch Vardy give his explanation below:

Leicester secured a 2-0 win against Southampton, who sit rock-bottom of the Premier League table on 11 points with three games remaining, thanks to first-half goals from Vardy and Ayew. Only their fifth win of what has been a hugely disappointing 2024-25 campaign, Saturday’s victory means Leicester have now picked up 21 points this term.

The aim of manager Ruud van Nistelrooy and his players is to salvage some pride between now and the end of the season, while the club’s fans will take the opportunity to thank Vardy for his 13 years of outstanding service.