Brendan Rodgers Reveals 'Love' for Jamie Vardy as He Bids to Create Free-Scoring Leicester Side
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he loves Jamie Vardy 'to bits', as he looks to make the striker a focal point of a 'dynamic' side under his management at the King Power Stadium.
Vardy, 32, has scored in both of the Foxes' games since the recent appointment of former Celtic manager Rodgers, after a run of just one goal in his previous six Premier League games under Claude Puel.
Speaking ahead of Leicester's game against Fulham, Rodgers admitted he had wanted to work with Vardy earlier in their respected careers, when he was in charge of Swansea and the Premier League winner was still at Fleetwood Town.
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As quoted by the Leicester Mercury, Rodgers said: "I love those sort of players - the ones who are bit cunning and have a bit of edge to them. I love him to bits. I loved him from the outside. I first came across him when I was Swansea manager and he was at Fleetwood.
"Someone mentioned that we need to go and see him. £1m they were talking about him going to Swansea at the time, but he very quickly came to Leicester.
"His story is amazing and I’m so happy he’s here. I’ve always wanted that striker at the top end to press, that’s so important for my teams."
Rodgers has looked to implement his ideas at Leicester since his appointment, with his first game on the touchline - the 2-1 defeat to Watford - seeing the Foxes revert to a 3-4-3 formation.
The Northern Irishman hopes to make them into a 'dynamic team' during his tenure, citing the importance that Vardy will play to exact those plans.
He added: "I’ve also been impressed by the fact he’s also very tactical aware. This isn’t just a boy who runs and scores, he thinks about the game, he understands the world. That’s why he will hopefully maximise the extent to which he can play the game.
"When I went to Liverpool they’d scored 47 goals and within two years they were the first Liverpool team to score over 100 goals. Hopefully, in time, I can do the same here and create a really dynamic team. Speed, power, creativity - there’s a real focal point there."
