Jamie Vardy made a somewhat surprising move to Serie A side Cremonese last summer after calling time on a 13-year spell at Leicester City. The English frontman left English football as one of the best strikers in Premier League history and looked set for a swansong in Lombardy, Italy.
The 39-year-old joined Cremonese following their promotion to the Italian top-flight through the playoffs, so expectations weren’t exactly high for the team this season. But the 2019-20 English Golden Boot winner has had a massive impact at the Stadio Giovanni Zini and demonstrated why he is held in such high regard in his homeland.
The Italian media have given interesting reactions to Vardy’s first half of his debut season in Serie A, and his exploits also make for compelling reading. That includes a brace in a 3-1 win over Champions League side Bologna in December.
Is Jamie Vardy Having a Party in Cremonese?
Vardy hasn’t quite put up the prolific goalscoring numbers of his legendary spell at Leicester, but he has proven to be an excellent acquisition for Cremonese. He joined I Grigiorossi as a free agent despite having several British clubs, including Celtic and Rangers, eyeing him last summer.
The Englishman took four games to net his first goal for his new club, finding the back of the net in a 1-1 draw against Atalanta. He followed that up with a strike in a 2-1 loss to Serie A giants Juventus, which came during his side’s run of three defeats on the bounce.
Vardy was back among the goals in a 3-1 win over Bologna, putting in his best performance of the season away at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium. But he had to wait six games for his next goal, which was against Cagliari in a 2-2 draw, and he also set up teammate Dennis Johnsen for the opener.
The Leicester legend was renowned for his fiery personality during his time in England, but during 18 outings, he’s only been booked three times. Former Premier League referee Jon Moss named him one of the worst players to deal with, but it seems Italian officials aren’t having as many problems.
Vardy’s performance for Cremonese in their loss to Juventus particularly caught the eye as the Italian media gave a glowing verdict. Football Italia wrote in November that he was his side’s best performer in that game:
“Jamie Vardy – The experienced English forward picks up his second goal of the season, with a fine finish after a counter attack to give the hosts a glimmer of hope late on. Worked hard tonight and showed the hunger to pick up his goal.”
November was a great month for Vardy as he picked up the Serie A Player of the Month, becoming the first English player in history to win the award. The Athletic’s James Horncastle, an Italian football expert, also spoke highly of his start:
“A week ago, Vardy left the Renato Dall’Ara with the player-of-the-match award. The brace he scored shattered Bologna’s dreams of going within a point of the league leaders. His goals were delightfully direct. The first: a long ball from the goalkeeper, a knock-down, second ball, through ball and one-v-one. The second: a long ball, a first-time volleyed cross and near-post finish.”
Vardy’s five goals have helped Cremonese steer clear of the relegation zone and exceed expectations. His team is six points above the drop zone, and they face leaders Inter Milan tomorrow (February 1st) at home.
Vardy Promised To Prove Doubters Wrong Amid Contract Talk
Vardy’s arrival at Cremonese prompted questions from the Italian media about his age and the reasons for the move. He responded to one journalist who even pointed out he was nearly 40 and that this comes with skepticism:
“You must be one of the doubters. You’re one that I’ll have to prove wrong.”
Vardy has always been confident in his abilities, and he was part of one of the biggest sporting miracles in football history. He fired Leicester to the Premier League title in 2015 after the Foxes headed into the season as relegation candidates.
He added, “Age is just a number. As long as my legs are still doing exactly what they used to and feel as fresh as they do, I’ll carry on. At the moment there are no signs of slowing down, so I’ll keep going. I’ll be giving my all for this club.”
Vardy signed a one-year deal with Cremonese, which expires this summer, but the Italian outfit is reportedly prepared to offer him an extension. A potential return to managerless Leicester to become the player-manager has been rumored as of late, but his wife, Rebekah, joked that he “doesn’t have the patience” for coaching.
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