Jamie Vardy’s success shows how hard work can beat natural talent
As Jamie Vardy skipped past Chancel Mbemba’s sliding challenge to slot past Rob Elliot, Vardy equalled the Premier League record of scoring in ten consecutive matches. The record is especially astonishing considering that Vardy was playing non-league football just three seasons ago. Now, to sit atop the Premier League goalscoring […]
As Jamie Vardy skipped past Chancel Mbemba’s sliding challenge to slot past Rob Elliot, Vardy equalled the Premier League record of scoring in ten consecutive matches. The record is especially astonishing considering that Vardy was playing non-league football just three seasons ago.
Now, to sit atop the Premier League goalscoring charts with thirteen league goals is an amazing accomplishment. Vardy has elevated the entire Leicester City team, as last season they were sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table at this time. With a tough run of fixtures coming up, it is easy to envision Leicester dropping out of the Premier League top four. Also, eventually, Vardy’s hot scoring streak will come to an end. Despite this, to be mentioned with the likes of Ruud Van Nistelrooy is more than a fairytale for Vardy.
At the age of sixteen, Vardy was released by Sheffield Wednesday. With a football career seeming unlikely, Vardy started working in a carbon fiber factory to earn a living. Eventually, Vardy pursued his dream and signed for Stocksbridge Park Steels, in the eighth division of English football. From there, Vardy earned a move to Halifax Town. At that time, Vardy’s manager Neil Aspin claimed that Vardy showed up to training without proper boots. Despite this, in a pre-season friendly, Vardy displayed the same type of play he is becoming known for. His solid touch, rapid pace, and his tenacity in chasing the ball were visible.
Vardy almost single-handedly led Halifax to promotion and earned a move to Fleetwood Town, still a non-league side. After one season at Fleetwood, Vardy earned a move to Leicester.
The rest is history.
Vardy has a fearless attitude on the pitch, shows aggression, and most importantly puts a shift in for his team. He always tries to find space in behind and chases every single clearance, a method which has played a large role in him scoring goals this season. He plays right off the shoulder of defenders and waits for his moment to charge. Defenders find him tough to play against because he constantly turns and changes the entire defense’s shape. Vardy epitomizes the working-class footballer. He plays through the pain, and unlike prima donna footballers, has carried this Leicester team forward.
While Vardy’s discipline record is not perfect, as shown by a casino incident over the summer, his effort on the football pitch cannot be questioned. As a player who has had to earn his chance in the Premier League, he shows just how much every match means to him.
On the other hand, there are so many players who have wasted their talents, despite having many opportunities. Two examples of these types of players are Mario Balotelli and Hatem Ben Arfa. Balotelli might be considered the exact opposite of Vardy. As a teenager, Balotelli earned his chance to play at Inter Milan. Despite this brilliant opportunity, which so many talented people throughout the world can only dream of, Balotelli failed to take it seriously. He showed up in public wearing A.C. Milan attire, a move which caused controversy. Jose Mourinho described Balotelli as unmanageable. Nevertheless, Balotelli earned a chance at Manchester City. At Manchester City, Balotelli initially started off well. He played well with a striking partner, but his off-the-field antics played a larger role than his on-field performances. A striking situation involved Balotelli accidentally destroying his bathroom with fireworks. As time passed on, Balotelli fell out with his manager, Roberto Mancini. Nevertheless, Balotelli earned another chance, this time at a club he liked, A.C. Milan. His time at Milan started off well, but eventually dropped off. Balotelli moved to Liverpool, where he failed to perform at all. His lack of effort comes as a complete contrast to Jamie Vardy’s hard work. Balotelli never helps his team defensively and has shown a bad disciplinary record in the past. Now, at the age of twenty-five, Balotelli cannot be considered a “young talent”. By now, Balotelli should be maturing into a great striker. Instead, he has spent time at four different clubs since 2010. Apart from his two-goal performance in the Euro 2012 semi-final against Germany, Balotelli’s antics have started to get old and his potential is decreasing.
Contrast this to Vardy, who’s career has progressed and improved over the past few years. Vardy does not have as much talent as Balotelli, but Vardy makes the most of what he can. Do you see Balotelli charging down clearances and chasing every long ball possible? No.
A greater example of talent being wasted comes from Hatem Ben Arfa. Ben Arfa has shown throughout his career that he is capable of producing dazzling moments of insane skill and has scored some fantastic solo goals. When on form, Ben Arfa can single-handedly win games for his team. Some of the goals he scored in the 2011-2012 season for Newcastle, as they finished fifth in the league, showcased his ability. He left players for dead and rampaged past defenders to score. Unfortunately, his inconsistency, as well as his selfishness often cost his side.
Some may blame Alan Pardew for failing to play Ben Arfa during the 2013-2014 season, but Lyon and Marseille’s willingness to sell Ben Arfa in the past speaks volumes about his attitude. For Newcastle, Ben Arfa’s fitness became an issue. He put on extra weight and seemed a yard off the pace. As a maverick player who expects to wants license to roam, Ben Arfa became difficult to manage. He moved to Hull City on loan to rejuvenate his career. Steve Bruce was shocked at his fitness and attitude and the loan ended prematurely. Ben Arfa returned to Newcastle, where he was released.
Now, he is doing well at Nice in France. He has earned a place back in the France national team. Despite this success, it is easy to wonder where Ben Arfa’s career could have gone. A few years ago, Ben Arfa stated that his dream was to win the Ballon D’or. While it is easy to see that his dream was far-fetched, great performances could have seen him move to a team competing for titles in the Premier League. There, he could earned the chance to represent his national side and earn a possible nomination. Instead, he is far away from his goal.
There are many other examples of players like Balotelli and Ben Arfa, such as Adel Taarabt. Small moments of brilliance cannot hide his lack of success. Both QPR and Benfica have considered him overweight. Taarabt’s selfishness, combined with his laziness on the pitch, have led him to a dead end in his career. He will surely make a lot of money before his career finishes, but his career has been ultimately unfulfilling.
Jamie Vardy depicts all the characteristics of a player who has completed the impossible. He played non-league football just three seasons ago. Now, he sits at atop of the Premier League and has started to represent the English national team. On the other hand, players with so much talent have wasted their careers due to behavioral problems and lack of discipline and effort. Jamie Vardy is a prime example of how players, with hard work and determination, can have successful careers. These types of players show the sadness at how some players, with all the talent possible, fail to flourish in great environments.
