Jamie Vardy: Leicester striker better than Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane, says Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca
Vardy began his non-league career after being released by childhood heroes Sheffield Wednesday, spending time with Stockbridge Park Steelers, Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town, Then he joined Leicester City in 2012 to participate in the English Championship.
Over the course of four seasons he became the Foxes’ top scorer, helping them to an unlikely Premier League win, scoring in 11 consecutive games to break Ruud Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record , winning the Premier League and Football Writers’ Association Championship Player of the Year awards.
Vardy went on to win the FA Cup in 2021 but has been underwhelming in his limited international career, scoring seven goals in 26 games.
He is the oldest player to win the Premier League Golden Boot and the player with the most goals at this level over the age of 30 (106).
In contrast, Kane has scored more goals than Vardy and Rooney, becoming the second scorer in Premier League history with 213 goals, second only to Alan Shearer. Joining Bayern Munich at the beginning of last season, he broke the Bundesliga single-season scoring record, scoring 36 goals and 44 goals in all competitions.
Kane also went on to score 69 goals for England, surpassing Rooney’s record of 53 goals set in March 2023.
But Rooney’s club career set him apart from the rest of the lethal duo, winning five Premier League titles, three League Cups, a Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League and FIFA Club World Cup. He also holds Manchester United’s all-time scoring record in all competitions with 253 goals.
Current Plymouth manager Rooney has also played as a No. 10 for most of his career, having played as a No. 9, out wide and in midfield. The 31-year-old Kane has been a classic No. 9 forward for most of the time, but has fallen to the No. 10 position in the offensive preparation phase.
In his prime, Vardy was a composed finisher whose pace caused problems, running into defenses and forcing turnovers through the press. Despite his advanced age, he remains Leicester’s first-choice striker option under Steve Cooper.
