Once upon a time, there lived a footballer who played Fourth Division football and then went on to win the Premier League. Jamie Vardy was his name.

From a non-league player, Vardy represented England in the UEFA Euro Cup 2016. However, his international performances are just the tip of the iceberg. Vardy spearheaded the attacking front line of his club Leicester City 2015-16 and his marauding moves and blinding pace split open opponent defenses as his team beat key opponents. In between August 29 and November 28, Vardy scored 10 consecutive games to first equal the record of former Manchester United striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy and then break it by scoring for the 11th match in a row.

Born in Sheffield, Vardy started his career with Stocksbridge Park in 2007 after being released by Sheffield Wednesday. According to a report by Guardian.com, Vardy was earning a paltry 30 pounds a week at the club. Having attracted attention through his stellar performances for Stocksbridge Park, Vardy secured a trial for Crewe Alexandra. However, the move did not materialize and he also rejected a contract with Rotherham United.

However, in 2010 Vardy secured a move to FC Halifax Town for a fee of 15,000 pounds and he utilised the opportunity to the fullest scoring 25 goals in 37 appearances in his debut season.

He was also named the Player of the Season and almost scored a hatrick of hat tricks for the club. Halfix also secured the Northern Premier League courtesy performances of Jamie Vardy.

Vardy’s consistent performance made him a familiar name amongst scouts and the player moved to Fleetwood Town a Conference Premier Club in 2011-12 and finished the season as top-scorer with 31 league goals.

Vardy’s string of continuous performances assured him a move to Leicester City in 2012-13 which later culminated in a wise career move for the England International. However, his debut season for the club was marred by a dip in performance as he drew constant flak from club supporters.

The season of 2013-14 saw him regain his form. The striker scored 16 league goals with Leicester returning to the top flight of English football. Vardy was now a darling of the club and received a contract extension till 2018 at the end of the season.

While Vardy managed only five goals and 10 assists in the 2014-15 season Leicester City had their relegation worries but the team managed to pick 22 points in the last leg of the season to finish 14th.

In the 2015-16 season, Leicester City overcame daunting challenges and managed to either beat or secure a point against the big names of English football. The club under the guidance of Claudio Ranieri managed to secure the Premier League. In the meantime, Vardy’s transfer value had risen from 2.1 million pounds to 18.8 million pounds according to a report by Guardian. Likewise from 30 pounds a week in 2007, Vardy was now drawing a weekly salary of 80,000 pounds a week as per reports by Skysports. With 24 goals to his name, Vardy finished as second highest goal scorer in the Premier League after Harry Kane. He also made it to the PFA Team of the year and was also awarded the 2016 Premier League Player of the Season.

However, Vardy’s exploits did not stop here and he went on to score in the UEFA Champions League next season and also scored in the UEFA Euro Cup in 2016. He also was in the 23-man England squad for the 2018 Fifa World Cup and made a start against Belgium in the final match of the group stage.