New Cremonese signing, Jamie Vardy, says the Italian club reminds him of his days at the King Power Stadium with Leicester City, Afrosport reports.
The 38-year-old joined on a free transfer after a glittering 13-year spell with Leicester, where he scored 200 goals in 500 appearances and famously lifted the Premier League title in 2016.
Vardy, who signed a one-year deal to join the Serie A club with an option for a second on deadline day, revealed that he is not worried about his age and is ready to prove doubters wrong.
Speaking at his unveiling, the former England international said: “You must be one of the doubters [looking at journalist who asked the question], and you’re one that I’ll have to prove wrong.
“No, listen, for me, age is just a number, it really is. As long as, and I’ve always said it, as long as my legs are still doing exactly what they used to and still feel as fresh as they do, then I will carry on. And at the moment, there’s no signs of them slowing down, so I’ll keep going and, like I say, I’ll be giving my all for this club.”
Vardy was linked to several other teams, but the veteran striker revealed that a long Zoom call with head coach Davide Nicola convinced him to make the move to Cremonese.
He said: “Originally, there was talk of it happening, and obviously coming into a different country it’s tough, so you need to make sure you have them conversations with loved ones, because it is going to be a big change.
“But one thing that happened was – thanks to technology – I was able to get on a Zoom call with the manager. [We] spoke for 45 minutes to an hour, showing his passion for the club and how he’s wanting to try and push on and just looking in his eyes and what he wanted, that really resonated with myself.
“And I think as a footballer, it’s always nice to feel wanted. You want to be able to go straight in. You know you want to work hard straight away, knuckle down on the training field, and then obviously, once you’re called upon, give your all during the game.”
Cremonese have opened the season with a perfect record following wins over AC Milan and Sassuolo. Vardy, who will wear the iconic No. 10 shirt once donned by Gianluca Vialli, could make his debut against Hellas Verona on Monday.
