Jamie Vardy selected Cremonese for the right motives with the striker “hungry” to join the Italian’s side venture, their manager has revealed.
Vardy penned a one-year contract with Cremonese on deadline day as he secured a new base in northern Italy.
The 38-year-old was determined to join a top-tier club after deciding to part ways with City following 13 campaigns at the King Power Stadium.
He discovered that in Cremonese, who are freshly-promoted to Serie A and have launched the season impressively, defeating AC Milan and Sassuolo to occupy third spot.
Vardy’s signing has sparked excitement in Cremona and aspirations are growing of a City-style fairytale.
But for boss Davide Nicola, the crucial element of Vardy’s addition was that he committed to the Cremonese project.
Nicola told Gazzetta: “When we realised the deal was feasible, we started explaining to him what we wanted to build. Feeling that kind of response and being chosen for that reason was important. He’s still a hungry player.
“I don’t sense any hype, but rather people’s enthusiasm for what we’re doing. The connection with our fans will be the real driving force.”
Cremonese operate in a 3-5-2 setup with Vardy’s forward partner at the tip of the attack likely to be fellow veteran Franco Vazquez.
The 36-year-old Argentine is perhaps most remembered for his five-year spell with Sevilla, during which he lifted the Europa League. He was among the substitutes for City’s Champions League clash against the Spanish side.
While Vardy and Vazquez will be eager to find the net, Nicola insists they understand they must contribute their fair portion of graft.
He added: “The team was built to get to the front two, who are the real experts: Vardy and Vazquez. But if you tell them to stay behind the ball, they’ll do it without a second thought.”
Vardy is scheduled to be officially presented on Wednesday at a press briefing to be staged in the auditorium at the Museo del Violino in Cremona. The city is renowned as the birthplace of master violin maker Antonio Stradivari.
Vardy’s first appearance could arrive on Monday, September 15, when Cremonese travel to Verona. He has been allocated the no.10 jersey.