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EPL striker Jamie Vardy has revealed the reason behind his decision to retire from international duty earlier than expected, claiming that he wanted to pave way for young English forwards coming through.
Vardy, who is presently the leading goalscorer in the ongoing EPL season, stated that he would have blocked the starting spot of one of those young strikers. According to him, the break from the international circuit offered him a chance of completely 'shut-off' and have an entire summer to relax ahead of the next EPL season.
During a fairytale EPL campaign that saw Leicester City of all teams romp to the EPL title under veteran manager Claudio Ranieri, Vardy earned his first England call-up on May 21, 2015 ahead of a friendly against the Republic of Ireland.
The decorated EPL number 9 earned 26 caps for Gareth Southgate's squad, scoring seven goals in the same period. Vardy will most fondly be remembered for sparking the turnaround against Wales in the Euros 2016. It was a game that England won 2-1 courtesy of his equalizer and former EPL striker Daniel Sturridge's injury-time winner.
"I'd be taking one of their places," says EPL striker Vardy
Jamie Vardy's story is one for the motivational narratives. He began as a player struggling in the lower, non-league divisions of English football with the likes of Stocksbridge Park Steels and Fleetwood Town.
The pacy forward was then signed by EPL side Leicester in 2012 for a non-league record transfer fee of £1 million. He helped the EPL giants win the Championship, after which he made his name in the top-tier a couple of years later.
Now, Vardy is one of EPL's most distinguished, unique and deadliest forwards owing to his frightening pace, attacking awareness and first-time finishing abilities.
He took a different route from that of young footballers who come through, and was over 30 by the time he hit his prime. Consequently, the 33-year-old retired from English football in 2018 after his side's defeat against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup, citing:
"I’m not getting any younger and you can see, to be fair to the gaffer, he wants to make it more youthful, which obviously had its benefits during the World Cup. For me personally now, at this age, it’s better to be at home, spending that time with my family and training with my club."
Almost a couple of years later, Vardy reiterated some of the same reasons, albeit from a different angle. He also said that he is open to returning. The EPL sharpshooter claimed,
"We’ve never totally closed the door, we made that clear. But there are a lot of really good, young England forwards out there and they’d benefit more — just say if I was there getting picked, I’m taking one of their places."
He further added:
"But I’ve definitely benefitted from getting a full summer, relaxing, just completely clearing your head. It just gives your body and your mind a complete shut-off.”
Regardless of the fitness and age factor, Vardy is enjoying one of his best seasons for Leicester in the EPL, with 19 goals from 26 appearances. Brendan Rodgers' Foxes are soaring in the EPL, sitting pretty on third place with 53 points from 29 matches.
They face-off against fellow EPL side Watford on Saturday at Vicarage Road.
