Leicester news: Opinion – Fan writer on Jamie Vardy

It is hard to know where to start when writing about a GOAT as it is incredibly difficult to put down on paper. Honestly, it is impossible to say in a few short words how much joy this man has brought for me, my family and my football club.

Jamie Vardy is the perfect amalgamation of fan and footballer – the kid that had dreams like all of us. It has been an honour to witness firsthand his 13-year highlight reel.

I have listed a few of my personal favourites here (in no particular order as that is too hard):

When one thinks of Vardy, what immediately comes to mind is an abundance of ability, pace, character, tenacity and ‘celebration engagement’ with the away fans.

The flying eagle against Crystal Palace, ‘howl’ to Wolves fans, corner flag guitar playing, running the length of the pitch to bow to the away fans, his ‘1-0’ to Tottenham fans only as recently as January, and there is many more.

As an away supporter, he is the man that you hate to love and love to hate.

But aside from all that, Vardy has been the spearhead of an era where all of our dreams became a reality, including his own.

A non-league £1m ‘punt’ by Nigel Pearson in 2012, soon followed by a 5,000-1 win of the Premier League title and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. He led us through it all as a true professional. His impact and loyalty to this club will be unrivalled during my lifetime.

Vardy puts personality in football, something that has sadly become a dying breed, and he showed his unmatched loyalty to the club when ‘better’ offers were on the table.

He is Leicester’s heartbeat and now, in this sad moment of relegation, it is time to move on and find a new sign of life.

Don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened.

Find more from Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die