Jamie Vardy recalls naked forfeit he had to endure at Fleetwood training ahead of return to former club in FA Cup
JAMIE VARDY remembers the day he was forced to run around the Fleetwood training ground starkers.
He admits it is not something that would happen these days at Leicester.
But the bare-faced romance of the FA Cup today sees the striker lined up for a return to the club where he made his name in the Conference.
A non-league record £1million move from Fleetwood to then-Championship side Leicester in 2012 raised eyebrows at the time.
But it was the making of England hitman Vardy — 31 next week — who went on to win the Premier League title, score 50 top-flight goals and gain international recognition.
And Vardy knows Fleetwood — now in League One — played a big part in his career. But he also realises those days were a world away from the Premier League spotlight.
And he recalls having to run naked at the club’s windswept training ground.
Vardy said: “Yeah, that was a bad day, I lost a bet. That’s how it was back then in non-League.
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“I don’t think I’d be doing that at Leicester. There are probably a lot of areas where the cameras can catch you, so it wouldn’t be a good idea.”
In his autobiography, Vardy wrote: “We trained at Fylde Rugby Club in Lytham St Annes, which is on the Irish Sea and bitterly cold for six months of the year.
“The wind would really cut through you, so the last thing you needed was to get naked.
“That was among the punishments handed out if you were late or trained badly.
“And one day I found myself doing a lap of the ground with nothing but my boots on. Thankfully the only people watching were the lads on the balcony who were p*****g themselves laughing.”
As he prepares for the ‘Vardy Derby’, the Leicester star admits he has come a long way since playing for the Lancashire side.
He said: “Fleetwood was my first taste of full-time football. We got promoted and that gave me the platform to sign for Leicester.
“I was buzzing when I scored 34 at Fleetwood. To reach 50 Premier League goals last month was a massive achievement but there’s hopefully more to come.”
Vardy’s chances of playing depend on him recovering from a hip injury.
Although keen to face the Cod Army, he is happy to leave it in Foxes boss Claude Puel’s hands and plans to be at the Highbury Stadium no matter what.
Vardy said: “It’s up to the gaffer who he selects — I’m not going to speak to him about it.
“You’ve seen with his selections, he’s been making changes. But even if I’m not involved I’ll make the trip up. I have good memories from Fleetwood and it’ll be good to see a few old faces.”
Boss Puel says he will talk to Vardy before deciding whether to play him.
And the Frenchman says there is no room for sentiment when it comes to playing against the League One outfit.
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Puel said: “It will be a discussion with Jamie. He’s a professional player.
“Of course it’s important for him to play against his former club, that would be fantastic, but we also have to be careful about his fitness and we cannot risk a long-term injury with him.
“He’s a very important player for us and it’s not possible to lose Jamie.”