Every player has their own effect on the fans, as well as the football community, but recently the man everyone has been talking about is Jamie Vardy. Jamie Vardy plays for the English Champions Leicester City FC, and is a star in European football. But things weren’t always so nice. Jamie Vardy was originally born in Sheffield and joined Sheffield Wednesday FC’s youth academy, but at the young age of 16, the team dropped him and claimed he was “too short.” After being dropped by his childhood club, Vardy was shocked, but he continued with his dreams. Vardy played recreational, non league, football for Stocksbridge Park Steels FC while working his job in a factory.

Vardy’s career was not off to a sublime start but he was willing to work even harder to retrieve it. Everything was going well until Vardy was convicted for fighting two men by a Sheffield bar. Vardy attempted to justify his actions by explaining that his friend was mocked for his hearing aid, and Vardy was strictly standing up for his friend. Whether Vardy’s actions were justified or not, he was still given an electronic tag and a curfew. This offense did not affect his “career” with Stocksbridge Parks Steel FC, because it is a non-league club, but a curfew with late football matches and away games would prove to be difficult.

After the conviction, Vardy signed a contract with conference side Fleetwood Town. In 2012, Vardy was given a big breakthrough and was signed to Leicester City for £1 million. He later helped Leicester to the FL Championship title in 2014, which earned them a promotion to the Premier League. Despite his career going well, Vardy would show up to training drunk or hungover, which caused concern for club officials and eventually made Vardy stop drinking.

In a few years Jaime Vardy went from a heartbroken footballer who was too short to representing his nation as part of the English National Team. Vardy is a household name in England and European football. Even with a hard road to success, Vardy achieved his dream and is the striker for Leicester City FC and the English National Football Team.