Leicester City icon Jamie Vardy is relishing a fresh chapter in Italy after bringing an end to his 13-year spell with the Foxes.
Vardy will don the number 10 shirt at Cremonese after sealing a one-year deal with the Serie A outfit.
Robin van Persie attempted to lure the ex-Leicester star to Feyenoord, but Vardy opted for the underdog path instead.
It was an unexpected switch that few anticipated, and when asked what swayed his decision to move to the city of Cremona, one Italian figure stood out.
Jamie Vardy outlines Enzo Maresca’s influence on Cremonese transfer:
Claudio Ranieri is the first Italian legend that comes to mind when you think of Leicester due to the remarkable Premier League triumph.
Esteban Cambiasso also understands Serie A inside out after his illustrious stint with Inter Milan, but it was Enzo Maresca who provided the encouragement for Vardy to test himself in the Italian top tier.
To the surprise of many, Vardy admitted that Maresca is the only one of the three he has kept in regular contact with.
At his official presentation, he said:
“I only stayed in touch with Maresca, I spoke to him all summer. He had such beautiful words for the city and the club, and from then on I never hesitated.
“Ever since I was young, I’ve watched the Italian league on TV. It’s a competitive league, among the best in the world.
“It’s perhaps more tactical than the Premier League, but I’ve already played under Maresca, and I know how to play in these teams.
“I haven’t had a chance to speak to (Ranieri) yet, but he’s always had nice things to say about me, so I don’t want to disappoint him.”
When could Jamie Vardy debut for Cremonese?
With the international break now over, focus turns to when the 38-year-old will make his first appearance.
Having only joined at the end of August, Vardy is currently short of match sharpness and will require time to reach full rhythm.
That said, Vardy is cut from a different cloth and might even feature in his new team’s opening game after the break, against Hellas Verona on Monday, 15 September.
Kick-off is scheduled for 5:30PM UK time, though the match unfortunately won’t be televised.