Jamie Vardy: Non-league to Premier League rise was 'a killer' | OneFootball

Jamie Vardy says the climb from non-league to the Premier League took a heavy toll on his body and mind in a new Netflix film. According to BBC UK, the 39-year-old Cremonese striker spoke after a London screening.

He chose Cremonese over Feyenoord last summer, joining a team in a relegation fight with three games left. He said he needs to switch off when seasons end, calling football 'a killer' physically and mentally, though he still loves playing.

He would not choose to relive the journey. Released by Sheffield Wednesday for being too small, he scored for Stocksbridge while making medical splints, then moved to Halifax and Fleetwood before a £1m switch to Leicester.

Trouble in 2007 brought an assault conviction, six months with an ankle tag and a 6pm curfew. Leicester initially proved a culture shock, with self-doubt and alcohol problems, including homemade Skittles vodka recalled by physio Dave Rennie.

A psychologist, Nigel Pearson’s patience and the birth of daughter Ella steadied him. Fame also stung, from a 2015 casino video of a racial slur he later called a major lesson, to discovering a secret biological father during a Helsinki trip.

Vardy became Leicester’s poster boy and top scorer in 2015-16, later lifting the FA Cup and playing for England. He retired from England in 2018 to protect his legs, saying early camps were mentally draining before Gareth Southgate changed things.

He says his routine could extend his time in Italy and calls himself 'a bit of a freak'.

Source: BBC UK