Jamie Vardy reveals Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca convinced him about Cremonese move | OneFootball

Serie A side Cremonese have now completed a major move for Jamie Vardy and the new arrival has revealed that Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca played an important role in convincing him about the move.

The 39-year-old spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport when he gave his first press conference as a Cremonese player earlier today.

He was asked about his view of Serie A from abroad and he said: “When I was young, I always watched Serie A on Channel Four. It’s one of the best leagues in the world, more tactical and with more ball possession than the English one, but I played for Enzo Maresca, who has the same style, and that will help me. Ranieri? I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I will; he’s had some nice things to say about me.”

When asked specifically about who influenced him into the decision, he spoke of Chelsea boss Maresca.

“Enzo Maresca. I spoke to him a lot when the contact with Cremonese was made. Enzo had beautiful words for the club and advised me to come and play here.”

Vardy revealed that Cremonese manager Davide Nicola has also had a major role to play in the move as he spoke to him personally for an hour.

“At the beginning, when the offer came, there were so many factors to consider. Talking to my wife and our children, because we’re talking about a major change. I had a call with Mr. Nicola for almost an hour and I was struck by his passion, his project, and the fact that he was wanted. This was a very important factor. Now my goal is to be ready as soon as possible.”

The English claimed that while Cremona is a quiet city, the last few days have been the opposite.

“They told me it was a quiet city, but these first few days have been anything but quiet. Everything was great fun, I met so many fans who stopped me everywhere. Impressive. From a technical standpoint, no problems; football has a common language and you can communicate through the ball.”

Vardy will be hoping to make a major impact at Cremonese, who have started the Serie A season very well. Nicola has a history of helping teams escape relegation and the striker has big experience of that.

Kaustubh Pandey