Cremonese’s Jamie Vardy: The Leicester hero is scoring in Serie A at the age of 39 – and Foxes fans are still visiting him in Italy | Soccer News

When Inter visit Cremonese on Sunday, the crowd at the Stadio Giovani Gini is expected to be swollen by a certain type of supporter, but it’s not the Serie A leaders they’ll be there to watch. Jamie Vardy tourism is booming among Leicester fans.

Vardy, 39, left the club in the summer after an impossibly eventful 13 seasons, but his adventure continues in Italy. Those hoping to convince Leicester remain disillusioned with their club’s plight but continue to draw inspiration from the greatest player of all time.

They also turned out in large numbers for a recent home game against Hellas Verona, with Leicester jerseys dotted throughout the crowd in the cold Cremona weather. Speaking to one of the groups of nine, they explained that this was a pilgrimage to pay homage to the heroes who won the title.

Family and friends held up flags that simply read “Thank you Vard” and were well-received by local residents who are used to receiving more visitors than usual. Cremona is famous for Antonio Stradivari and his violin. A new form of tourism is emerging in the city.

“We bought a Cremona shirt and had a delicious meal,” said one fan, Jackie Troy. “What was really nice was that we don’t speak Italian, but the disadvantage was that not everyone speaks English in Cremona, but everywhere we went they would just say, ‘Jamie Vardy!’”

Cremonese has seen big names play before. World Cup winner Antonio Cabrini also started his career here, as did the late great Gianluca Vialli, while many of a certain generation will fondly remember the bald look of flying winger Attilio Lombardo.

However, the club has since moved up and back to the fourth tier. It’s been more than 30 years since this sleepy city of 70,000 people in Lombardy saw a team survive a Serie A season. The inclusion of the former England international striker’s name, who scored 145 goals in the Premier League, is new.

It is reflected in excitement. Cremona is far from Vardy fever, it’s not that kind of place. The main square is decorated with soccer calendars featuring Juventus, Milan and Inter. A big club in the northwest, just over an hour away by high-speed train.

But it’s not just Leicester supporters who are intrigued. A group of Italian fans from Bergamo also gathered just to watch him. When the announcer reads out the teams, he says the team numbers in order, except for Vardy. His name is read at the end.

What helps all this is that Vardy has impressed. It would be a stretch to claim that he took Serie A by storm, but his five goals in 18 games was a huge contribution to a struggling side. He was named the tournament’s Player of the Month for December.

Highlighted by his two goals in the win over Bologna in the same month, Vardy also scored at home against Atalanta, Juventus and Cagliari. Still drinking Red Bull, still beating the odds. When you saw him up close against Verona, you could still see that familiar gait.

Vardy joked with his teammates beforehand and gestured to his family in the hospitality box. When the match begins, he gets involved in a scuffle with his marker and the referee. He even belied his age by nibbling at the crowd when he was frustrated at not getting a foul.

Although he may be a half-step slower than he was in his prime, he is still cheered by the way he takes on challenges, such as defending from the front and desperately rushing towards the ball to get it into the net, only to get injured when he hits the goal frame.

He adjusted his game, improving his link-up play and making smart runs as the year went on. The move led those who recall conversations with his old boss Brendan Rodgers from his time at Leicester to describe him as “football-savvy”.

“You might think of him as just a goalscorer, but Jamie knows football inside and out,” Rodgers said. “His positioning and the way he reads the game, he just understands football. He truly loves football. He watches football. How many young players are there right now who are actually doing that?”

This may help explain why Vardy took this step. Migration to the United States or Australia may have been less culturally challenging, but opportunities in the Middle East would have been more lucrative. But Italy, Serie A, it just captures the imagination.

For Nigel Pearson, the manager who signed him for Leicester, took him to the Premier League and helped set him on this amazing path, the most important thing is not where Vardy has chosen to play his football, but how he feels about himself now.

“In my opinion, the most important reason for his success is that he started accepting himself, who he is and what he is,” Pearson told Sky Sports. “He seems to be at one with himself for the most part now and hopefully growing to like himself.”

In Pearson’s view, stability in Vardy’s personal life is key. “He has a strong and loving relationship with Becky. Apart from his football talent and tactics, he is also very coachable. What more could anyone need?”

Even though Vardy is based near the idyllic Lake Garda, just over an hour from Cremona, Italy has not been without its challenges. They were victims of a disturbing robbery that occurred there some time ago. He admits it was a big change for his family.

Vardy has until the summer on his contract and may then consider looking further ahead. But there is the task of finishing first at Cremonese and keeping the club in the top division for the first time in a generation. They are currently without a win in eight games.

A team lacking flair needs inspiration. Maybe the old crusty man might pull another trick on his skintight sleeves before he leaves. Perhaps one or two big-name clubs with big ideas and big reputations might still get his revenge.

Pilgrims from Leicester express both hope and respect. But with this guy you never know. “Good luck to the lovable scoundrel,” Pearson says. “I told him that if he invited me, I could visit his gaff on his next road trip to Europe.” Vardy’s own adventures continue.