Jamie Vardy is confident he can continue to torment Premier League defenders well into his forties after his impressive performance helped Leicester City secure a point against Tottenham.
Despite nearing his 38th birthday in January, Vardy shows no signs of slowing down.
He scored the equalizer early in the second half and even had a chance to win the game, despite not being expected to play due to a knee injury sustained in pre-season.
Vardy’s goal was his eighth on the opening day of a top-flight campaign, a record surpassed only by Mohamed Salah, who has nine.
Vardy is now the second-oldest player to score on matchday one, behind Teddy Sheringham, who scored for West Ham against Blackburn at age 39 in 2006.
According to Mail Sport, Vardy intends to continue playing beyond his 40th birthday.
“I literally see age as just a number,” said Vardy, who signed a new one-year contract last summer.
“As long as I keep looking after myself and my legs feel great before training and games, I’ll carry on for as long as physically possible.
“I wouldn’t say I’m doing anything differently. I’m still making the same runs, but the main thing is I’m maximizing my recovery. I’ve got everything I need at home.
Tuesday will be a recovery session at the training ground, and then I’ll go home and double up on that.”
To aid his recovery, Vardy has installed a cryotherapy chamber at home, which uses low temperatures to speed up healing.
“I’ll get massages, do cryotherapy in the pool, stretch, and then go home.
When I get home, I’ll do cryotherapy again, use the sauna, and spend an hour in the oxygen tent—just to have some time to myself.”
In the match, Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur had to be carried off on a stretcher after a clash of heads.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said, “It’s a head injury, so we have to be really careful. The good news is he’s up and talking. We’ll let the medical team handle it.”
Leicester manager Steve Cooper added, “Vardy trained just once and then goes and does that. It’s great to have him back.”
