Ballon d'Or Power Ranking: January 2020

9. Jamie Vardy - Leicester City

Jamie Vardy is continuing to defy the odds at the age of 32

Jamie Vardy's rise from non-league football to the rags and riches of the Premier League is a sporting tale for the ages. The Englishman, who spearheaded Leicester City to an unlikely Premier League triumph in 2015/16, has aged like fine wine and has lead the line to devastating effect for the Foxes this season.

Brendan Rodgers' side are second only to Liverpool in the league standings in the halfway point and a large part of their success is due to the form of their talisman, who has lead from the front with a staggering 17 goals and 4 assists to his name so far this season. At the age of 32, Vardy has shown no signs of slowing down and his record against the top-six makes for stunning reading, as he's established himself as one of the biggest big-game players in Premier League history.

Liverpool seem to have registered what looks like an unassailable lead in the Premier League summit but Vardy's side will look to be hot on their heels, as they aim to secure Champions League football for only the second time in the club's history.

Despite being a late bloomer, Vardy has shown staggering levels of consistency in the English top-flight and his decision to hang up his boots prematurely for England seems to be paying dividends. The fact that a Leicester City player features on the list of potential Ballon d'Or winners typifies Vardy perfectly, as the veteran striker continues to defy odds and expectations at this stage of his career.