'Football Is Its Own Language': Jamie Vardy Looks To Endear Himself To Cremonese Fans After Serie A Switch

Last Updated:September 11, 2025, 08:03 IST

Vardy opined that he wanted to prove that he did not arrive in Italy for a retirement party as the newly-promoted Serie A club begin a new adventure.

Jamie Vardy. (X)

English striker Jamie Vardy expressed his anticipation to endear himself to the Cremonese fans following the Premier League winner’s switch to Serie A in the recently shut transfer window on a free after leaving Leicester City at the end of a 13-year spell with the foxes.

Vardy opined that he wanted to prove that he did not arrive in Italy for a retirement party as the newly-promoted Serie A club begin a new adventure.

At 38 years old, Vardy is among several veteran stars to have moved to Italy this summer, joining Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric, who plays for AC Milan and turned 40 on Tuesday.

Vardy has joined a team that surprisingly sits at the top of Serie A with a perfect six points, alongside reigning champions Napoli. However, despite this strong start, his new team is expected to be battling against relegation by the season’s end, even with the support of local billionaire steel magnate Giovanni Arvedi.

On Wednesday, Vardy expressed his desire to bring the same passion and commitment to Cremonese that he had during his 13 years at Leicester City. He joined Leicester from non-league Fleetwood Town in his mid-20s and was a key player in one of the most romantic stories in recent football history when Leicester won the Premier League in 2016.

“Throughout my career I’ve been doubted. Always have, probably always will. What I’ve always managed to do is turn that around and prove them all wrong," Vardy said.

“Speaking with the manager Davide Nicola, there was a lot of doubt in Italy about Cremonese being able to stay in the league. With how the manager is and the passion he’s got and his work ethic, that’s not what he wants," he added.

“With how the lads have started, it’s been unbelievable. We know it’s a long season but that’s the road he’s wanting to go down. It’s wanting to be the underdogs that are overachieving," Vardy continued.

“Being able to be a part of that and prove people wrong and fight for this badge, that was definitely one of the reasons for the move," Vardy added.

The former England forward joined Cremonese last week on a one-year deal, with an option for an additional season if the team remains in the top flight. He openly expressed his desire for a new experience in a football culture he admires.

He shared with the predominantly Italian press that as a child, he used to watch Serie A matches on British terrestrial television, with Alessandro Del Piero being a particular inspiration for him.

“The one thing that’s always constant is football is its own language. You can always talk through football," said Vardy.

“So being able to train with the lads and being able to feel welcome has been a great start and definitely a great first week."

Vardy, who famously won the Premier League under Claudio Ranieri, was persuaded by another Italian former Leicester manager, Enzo Maresca, to join Cremonese.

“There’s only one of those I’ve been speaking to for the entire summer, we still keep in touch as much as possible, which is Enzo," he said.

“I managed to have a really good chat with him once we knew it was going to be a possibility, and he did nothing but sing the praises of the club itself and the surrounding areas, Cremona as a city, everything.

“It was his advice for me to come here and that was it. I managed to sit down with my family and talk about it, it was the only one place I was going to go."

He is eager to “show people exactly what I’m about" with Cremonese, who will be playing at Verona on Monday, and to immerse his family in a new culture.

“It’s going to be an enjoyable experience, not just for myself in playing football, but for the family," he said.

“Learning new languages, getting used to what it’s like living in Italy. It’s one thing as a family that we’re all really looking forward to."

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