Zola, Crespo, Del Piero...Vardy? Leicester boss rates England striker as one of his best

Vardy is now one goal away from the outright record

CLAUDIO RANIERI has worked with some of football's greatest goalscorers: Hernan Crespo, Gianfranco Zola, Gabriel Batistuta, Alessandro del Piero.

 

It is time to add another name to this illustrious list for the Leicester manager...that of Jamie Vardy.

Just mentioning the 28-year-old in such company underlines the scale of Vardy's incredible achievement in joining Ruud van Nistelrooy in the record books with his 10th goal in 10 consecutive games.

It is a bit like compiling a league table with Leicester top above Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal. Yes, you did read that right.

 

Ranieri is now challenging Vardy to break the record at next week: at Old Trafford appropriately enough.

But the Italian recalls a less-heralded player, one almost as unknown here as Vardy was a few years ago, whose story mirrors his rags to riches rise up the leagues.

"In my career, I know of just one player like him who has taken the same route to the top," said Ranieri.

 

Vardy was denied several times by Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot but finally beat him

Moreno Torricelli was playing for non-League Caratese when mighty Juventus took a chance on him in 1992 and the unsung full-back went on to win league titles and play 10 times for Italy.

"It is difficult to compare because they are two very different players," said Ranieri. "And it is not possible to say who is the greatest striker either.

"Batistuta once scored 11 goals in a row for me and that is the best run by any player I have managed. Hopefully, Jamie can achieve and beat this.

"It is amazing we are even mentioning him in the same breath but sometimes this can happen with strikers. Sometimes, everything they touch is gold."

Vardy, who had feared throughout the week he would miss the game through injury, was one of several Leicester players who glittered at St James' Park.

Danny Drinkwater's boundless energy, the silky skills of Riyad Mahrez and, of course, the man of the moment's finishing proved far too much to a Newcastle side who at times looked as disinterested as they were inept.

 

Vardy opened the scoring just before the break, clipped the bar with another effort and was twice foiled by goalkeeper Rob Elliot with Leonardo Ulloa and sub Shinji Okazaki scoring the second half goals, the visitors' dominance deserved.

Press-ganged into making a speech in the dressing room afterwards, Vardy kept it brief and later in his countless post-match interviews, he was probably no different to the journeyman footballer who launched his Fleetwood career with two goals at Kettering in September 2011.

It was only when asked to describe his historic moment that Vardy's face lit up. Here's someone who lets his goals do his talking for him.

"Leo's put it through and there's just one defender to beat so I've knocked it past him," he said. "Then I've gone near post. Nine times out of 10, I feel the keeper will think you're going to put it into the far stick.

"Luckily it's gone in and given us the lead, then we've built on that."

Vardy's afternoon was in stark contrast to Aleksandar Mitrovic, who seems to have taken his problems with the Serb national team back to Tyneside with him

Mitrovic appeared almost grateful to be hauled off just after the hour mark and on this evidence, the former Anderlecht forward is not the striker Toon fans hoped and prayed he might be.

The 22-year-old has come in for fierce criticism back home but McClaren was in no mood for consolatory words and had little sympathy.

"We talk a lot about the disruption of international breaks and players being away but it's a lot of hullabaloo, a lot of rubbish and no excuse," said the Newcastle manager who would not rule out dropping Mitrovic.

"That's what football is. Sometimes it is not all fine weather and things going your way.

"Sometimes you have to roll your sleeves up and this is a time when we have to do exactly that."

NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Elliot 6; Janmaat 5, Mbemba 5, Coloccini 5, Dummett 4; Tiote 5 (Thauvin 20, 3), Anita 7; Sissoko 5, Perez 4 (Perez 81), Wijnaldum 4; Mitrovic 3 (Cisse 62, 4).

Booked: Anita, Dummett, Perez, Sissoko.

NEXT UP: Crystal Palace (a), Sat PL.

LEICESTER (4-4-2): Schmeichel 6; Simpson 6, Morgan 6, Huth 6, Fuchs 5; Mahrez 8 (Dyer 89), Kante 7, Drinkwater 8, Albrighton 6; Ulloa 7 (Okazaki 73), Vardy 8 (King 77).

Booked: Huth. Goals: Vardy 45, Ulloa 62,Okazaki 83.

NEXT UP: Manchester United (h), Sat PL.

Referee: M Jones (Chester).