Jamie Vardy’s Transition to Serie A: New Beginnings in Italy

omidbasir- After spending 13 years at Leicester City, where he became a club legend by contributing to their Premier League and FA Cup victories, veteran forward Jamie Vardy made the decision to join Cremonese last summer on a free transfer. The former England international, who netted 200 goals for the Foxes, reportedly had the opportunity to transfer to Celtic but opted for the Italian side instead. Prior to his move, Vardy consulted with former Leicester manager and then Chelsea head coach, Enzo Maresca, about the Serie A transition.

Vardy shared, “I spent the whole summer talking with Maresca, who spoke wonderful words about the city and the club. He encouraged me to come play here.”

Thus far, Vardy has scored five goals in 18 appearances in Serie A and is gradually acclimating to his new environment. However, he faces challenges in learning Italian. In October, he remarked, “I only know the basics: good morning, thank you, numbers. But I’ll be taking lessons starting next week, so hopefully that will help me improve. I need to learn, especially as my kids are learning it too. I can’t let them get ahead of me or they’ll tease me!”

He also discussed the differences between English and Italian football. “Serie A is more tactical and possession-based,” he explained. “In the Premier League, it’s all about high intensity and fast pace, typically end-to-end. Here, you have more time on the ball, so you need to ensure you’re in the correct positions.”

“Ultimately, football is football; we must be focused 100 percent every week. It’s 11 against 11, and anyone can win, so as long as we perform at our best, we are confident we can earn points against any opponent.”

In a recent Instagram Q&A session, Rebekah Vardy was asked if her husband would consider a player-manager role with Leicester, who are currently searching for a new coach after the dismissal of Marti Cifuentes. Rebekah responded, “I mean, that would be interesting!” She also mentioned that Vardy continues to follow Leicester’s matches in the Championship, stating, “As painful as it is to watch… yes! Always.”

However, she dismissed the idea of Vardy pursuing a management career, saying, “Extremely unlikely. I don’t think he would have the patience! Living with me and five feral kids is hard enough.”

Following a burglary at their home in northern Italy last November, Vardy may make an appearance for Cremonese when they take on Serie A leaders, Inter Milan, this weekend. Currently, his team occupies 14th place in the standings, sitting six points above the relegation zone. A surprising victory could elevate them to 11th in the league.