5 things you probably didn't know about Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy

#5 Vardy was the most expensive non-League transfer

Soon, the big time came calling. Then Blackpool manager Ian Holloway had made a bid to sign Vardy in January 2012 by offering Fleetwood £750,000 for his services. Fleetwood rejected the deal and asked for not only £1 million but a loan back to the club so Vardy could finish the season.

Ultimately, Vardy would join Leicester City before the 2012/13 season for a fee of £1 million – a non-league record. Although he did have an indifferent first season and didn’t react well to criticism from the fans, then-manager Nigel Pearson convinced him to stay with the Foxes.

Vardy turned it around in the 2013/14 season and helped Leicester City gain promotion to the Premier League with 16 goals that season. Again, he was voted the Players’ Player of the Season.

The striker then announced himself to the world at the start of the 2014/15 season in a thrilling Premier League encounter at the King Power Stadium when Manchester United lost 5-3 after initially leading 3-1. Vardy scored once and assisted three goals as Louis van Gaal’s men were put to the sword.

The rest, as they say, is history.