Jamie Vardy names the EFL Championship club he loved celebrating against the most | OneFootball

Jamie Vardy has poked fun at Sheffield United, with the boyhood Sheffield Wednesday fan an iconic figure at Leicester City...

Jamie Vardy is a former Leicester City player who, despite coming from Sheffield, never played for either Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield United.

The striker's rise to Leicester City is one of football’s most remarkable journeys. Starting in non-league with Stocksbridge Park Steels after his release from Sheffield Wednesday in his youth career, he showcased his talents via his raw pace and relentless work ethic to climb the pyramid.

He eventually earned a move to Halifax Town before truly exploding at Fleetwood Town. His goals fired Fleetwood into the Football League for the first time, prompting Championship side Leicester to take a chance on him in 2012.

Initially questioned, Vardy adapted quickly, developing into a lethal forward and ultimately becoming central to one of the game’s greatest underdog stories. That took him to the Premier League title and England caps eventually, but the 39-year-old never played for his boyhood club.

Jamie Vardy teases Sheffield United amid David Hirst, Sheffield Wednesday claim

During his career with Leicester, Vardy scored 200 goals in 500 games and became a club legend. Vardy scored one of those against Wednesday, which came during his final season of Championship football back in 2023/24.

However, as a boyhood owl making it even sweeter, he managed to score three times against the red and white half of Sheffield. Vardy scored an FA Cup winner against the Blades back in 2017/18 during a 1-0 win.

He also notched the first goal against them during a 2-1 win in 2019/20, which came at Bramall Lane. In 2020/21, via the same scoreline and on the same ground, he scored the winner. Infamously, Vardy ran to the corner flag and broke it in the process.

That proved to be his last goal against Sheffield United, but it was a highly memorable one for the Sheffield Wednesday fan. Speaking via Leicester fan jack_pridmore on TikTok, Vardy has revealed his thoughts on scoring against the Blades.

He was asked for the one team that he loved celebrating against the most. Vardy replied: "Sheffield United away. Yeah, Sheffield boy, aren't I? Had to be done, had to be done."

He was then asked who his favourite player was growing up, with Vardy responding: "Well, I was a Sheffield Wednesday fan, so it was David Hirst. Who was a striker way before your time."

Jamie Vardy is unlikely to ever play for Sheffield Wednesday now

Vardy has scored five goals in 24 Serie A games for Cremonense at the age of 39, with his career soon coming to an end. In many ways for Vardy, the fact he will likely never pull on a Sheffield Wednesday shirt feels like a real shame and a sliding doors moment that never quite aligned.

Obviously, Vardy’s journey took him from non-league obscurity to title-winning hero with Leicester, but the timing has never worked in Wednesday’s favour where they were at the level or in a position to attract him to come to the club.

He was either still climbing the pyramid or already operating at a level beyond their reach. Given his connection to the club, it would have carried real emotional weight — for both player and supporters.

Instead, it remains one of those romantic football stories that, despite feeling right, never materialises. It could perhaps have done so had Sheffield Wednesday not had the last 18 months they have had, but he is unlikely to want to finish his career in League One with the Owls.