Everton are reportedly chasing Leicester City’s star man Jamie Vardy. The Toffees are hoping to use the Steve Walsh connection who signed Vardy for £1million in 2012 for Leicester. Leicester are currently well stocked in attack in Jamie Vardy, Shinji Okazaki, Kelechi Iheanacho, Islam Slimani and Ahmed Musa with the last two out on loan for now. With Vardy north of 30, Leicester may not be able to command a high price if the player wants to move as well.
So why is Everton making an old striker their number one target despite having millions to spend in the market?
The game of football at the professional level requires not only players with quick feet but with a sharp mind as well. As the level of the game goes higher, technical skills are overtaken by the ability of a player to be mentally quick. The professional game is played at the highest level and every professional is more or less gifted with abundance in terms of technicality and ball skills. The great players stand out from the regular ones on one basis, their use of the brain.
The game is decided in a split second and players are judged on the few moments they get on the ball. The game is even more difficult for the strikers and goalkeepers who unlike the midfielders see lesser of the ball but the magnitude of their little time is significantly more than the playmakers and tacklers in the midfield.
For a striker, the game is more in the mind than anything. A good striker is never short on confidence. Their mental strength has to be on point every single time they step on the pitch, whether it be once in a month or for ninety minutes every time their team plays a match.
It is therefore difficult for strikers called upon from the bench to make an impact as chances are harder to come by and the stakes are always high. The stories of back up strikers are the ones which go wrong most often and their careers are never judged by correct parameters. It is in this light that Vardy’s story becomes even more famous. The English striker made it from the backups to become the top dog in England and is now one of the most dangerous asserting strikers in the English Premier League.
He has good pace, a calm head, excellent finishing prowess and is aggressive until death. His ability to finish from anywhere makes him an absolute menace for the opposition. Everton could do with a striker like him in the team!
