Jamie Vardy.

Jamie Vardy is one of the most underrated strikers in the world.

I’ve never seen a player hang on the shoulder of the last defender and cause as much havoc and fright as him. The value this brings to the team is invaluable as it causes the opposition to drop back further out of fear that they’ll be caught out by the traditional ball over the top. This psychological advantage gives Leicester the ability to play on the front foot and dictate the game in most situations. Alternatively, when playing superior opposition, they’ll never be significantly out-possessed due to them having to double up at the back to defend Vardy.

In some ways, Vardy is the reason that many teams have abandoned the need for a traditional target striker as it doesn’t create a significant advantage. Playing into them slows play down and allows opposition to get back and regroup. In addition, the pace of football has increased so much that playing a flick-on is almost obsolete as a tactic; there’s really no need as you can play directly into the speed merchant. Call it streamlining a process if you will.

There are others that aim to play like Vardy but in most cases, they get frustrated if they aren’t receiving the ball and drop back thus conceding shape and the tactical advantage. Vardy never seems to do that. He’s constantly on the back shoulder of the defense.

As well as Vardy plays the role, Leicester has always built their team around him and played to Vardy’s strengths. They’ve kept a strong spine through the middle and deployed speed on the flanks to compliment Vardy’s athleticism.

In addition to his technical nous and disciplined approach, Vardy has a strong head on his shoulders. He only entered the Premier League at age 27 and prior to Leicester he only played non-league football, most recently for Fleetwood Town in 2012. Football 365 did a brilliant piece on him titled, Jamie Vardy v The World: This decade’s greatest story - how true. Since joining Leicester, he’s had many opportunities to join Champions League clubs and consistent challengers but has never turned his head from the club that helped make his dreams a reality.