Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy is the most famous player to leave Stocksbridge to go on to play professional football. Jamie now plays as a striker for Premier League club Leicester City. Regarded as one of the best strikers in the world at his peak, Vardy is known for his prolific goalscoring aided by his movement, explosive pace, clinical finishing and tactical proficiency. He still is held in high regard at Stocksbridge and even the main stand is name after him.
Vardy was in the youth system at Sheffield Wednesday but was released at age 16.He then played at Stocksbridge Park Steels, where he made his way through the reserve team and into the first team making his debut under manager Peter Rinkcavage in 2006, but it was under Garry Marrow who gave his break in 2007/08 season that he really showed his potential. After impressive displays, a number of Football League teams became interested and in 2009 he spent a week on trial with Crewe Alexandra. A move did not materialise and he later turned down a short-term contract with Rotherham United. He spent three seasons helping the club to Sheffield Senior Cup and promotion to the Northern Premier League in 2008/09.
Vardys Steels Goals
In June 2010, manager Neil Aspin, a long time admirer of Vardy’s talents, signed him for FC Halifax Town for a fee of £15,000. He made his debut on 21 August 2010 in the home match against Buxton, scoring the winning goal in a match that ended 2–1 to his new club. Vardy had a successful first season with “the Shaymen” finishing as the club’s top goalscorer with 25 goals from 37 appearances and being voted the Player’s Player of the Season. His goals helped secure the Northern Premier League Premier Division title for the 2010–11 season.
Vardys Best Steels Goal
After just over a year with Halifax, Vardy signed for Conference Premier club Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee. He scored 31 league goals in his first season at his new team, winning the team’s “Player of the Year” award as they won the division.
After just over a year with Halifax, Vardy signed for Conference Premier club Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee. On 1 January 2012, Vardy scored twice in a 6–0 win over Southport, and six days later the team lost 5–1 at home to local rivals Blackpool in the third round of the Cup. After the match, Blackpool manager Ian Holloway made a £750,000 offer for him, which Fleetwood rejected, holding on for £1 million and a loan back to the club. He totalled six goals in his first four matches of the calendar year. Vardy’s 31 league goals saw him finish the season as the top scorer in the Conference Premier.
Vardy signed for Leicester City in the Championship in May 2012 for a non-League record transfer fee of £1 million and helped the team win the Championship in 2014. In the 2015–16 Premier League season, he scored in eleven consecutive Premier League matches, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record, and was voted the Premier League Player of the Season and FWA Footballer of the Year as outsiders Leicester won the title. He won the Premier League Golden Boot for the 2019–20 season, becoming the oldest player to win the award. By playing in the 2021 FA Cup Final, he became the first ever player to play in every round of the competition, from the preliminary stages to the final. Vardy made his international debut for the England national team in June 2015 and was selected for UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. His last appearance for England was at the latter tournament, and later that summer, he asked not to be chosen for any more squads, unless there was an injury crisis.
