Emile Heskey: Jamie Vardy Still Has Plenty To Offer
Former Leicester City and England striker Emile Heskey believes Jamie Vardy can still do a job at whichever club he plays for next.
Vardy brought down the curtain on his remarkable 13-year spell at the King Power Stadium in May, scoring his 200th goal for the club on his 500th and final appearance for the Foxes.
Heskey, speaking exclusively to Gambling.com, revealed that he thought Vardy might stay on at his former club to help with the development of the younger players as the club look to return to the Premier League.
“I think as an impact player he definitely has something to offer,” he said.
“That is why I thought he might stay at Leicester, as a player to help some of the younger players coming through.
“I do believe he still has a role to play.”
Rodgers Reunion At Celtic On The Cards?
Reports in Scotland suggest Vardy has his "heart set" on reuniting with former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers in Glasgow.
Rodgers managed Vardy during Leicester’s most successful spell in the Premier League era, and Celtic are believed to be monitoring the situation closely.
However, it appears there has been no official contact between Celtic and Vardy so far as the striker considers his options, with football betting sites offering odds on his next move.
But wherever he goes next, Heskey – who will be lining up for Liverpool at the Manchester Masters on September 5 – believes Vardy still has a pivotal role to play.
“I think any move is good,” he said.
“I think he still has another year or two to play. Whether he can play week in, week out, that is another thing.
"He has experience and the know-how, and he is still super fit.
“I know people look at his age, but let us look past that and focus on what he is producing and what he could do.
“I think you will get a fantastic, unbelievable player there. Whether he can play all the games, I don't know.”
Leicester Seek Premier League Return
Leicester are once again in the Championship having been relegated last season, as they begin their first campaign of the post-Vardy era.
Under new manager Marti Cifuentes, they started the season with ambitions to bounce straight back up to the Premier League, winning two and losing one of their three games so far.
However, there is still uncertainty at the club, with the threat of a possible points deduction and much rebuilding to be done.
Heskey – who played 197 times for Leicester and scored 46 goals – believes it will not be easy to secure promotion at the first time of asking.
“I am not sure about bouncing straight back up, as they are another club having to sell a lot of their players,” he said.
“Players are leaving left, right and centre as the club try to get back on an even keel where they can actually say, ‘What do we want to be?’
“You have Louis Page who is 17. You have Jeremy Monga at 16. You have Silko Thomas who is 21.
“These young lads are now coming in and playing. Now you have to build something new from another platform. They have a really good manager who wants to play some of the youth.
“I think physically, in some sense, they should be okay, but the mental side will be difficult.”
