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COULD JAMIE VARDY HOLD HIS OWN AT REAL MADRID?

Jamie Vardy has been truly spectacular in the opening stages of the season. The Leicester City striker has now scored in nine consecutive Premier League matches, leaving him one short of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record.

Of course, the Dutchman achieved this over two seasons, while Vardy has scored in nine successive fixtures in the same campaign. So in a way, Vardy’s achievement is already greater than Van Nistelrooy’s accomplishment.

So after lighting up the Premier League for the past two months, Real Madrid are naturally going to bid £50 million for the striker next summer aren’t they? Well, probably not but they could do far worse than Leicester’s energetic workhorse. Okay, he may not be a household name across Europe but he has shown his quality on multiple occasions this season.

Jamie Vardy’s story is incredible. At 28 years old, he’s a late bloomer. In fact, he’ll be 29 in January. While most footballers begin to tail off as they approach their thirties, Vardy is reaching his prime.

Throughout his younger years, he spent time at Stocksbridge Park Steels and Halifax Town. He was never regarded as a top talent but clubs noticed his incredible work ethic, which has always been one of Vardy’s greatest traits.

In some ways, he reminds me of Carlos Tevez. During the Argentina international’s time in the Premier League, he developed a reputation for his unbelievable work ethic. Tevez was a real dogged character and supporters appreciated his commitment and effort.

However, he also had talent and could produce a piece of individual brilliance at any moment. Vardy may not possess that same natural flair but the Leicester forward has shown enough talent to suggest that he would be a success at an elite club.

Real Madrid are currently second in La Liga and are desperate to win their first title since 2012. If Barcelona defend their title this season, major changes will be expected at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Karim Benzema, who has led Madrid’s attack for the past six years, is a flight risk and could move to the Premier League next summer if Real look elsewhere. Rafa Benitez will look to improve the squad and will need to bring another striker into the club, particularly if the Frenchman leaves the Bernabeu.

Now, I’m not trying to say that Real Madrid should sign Jamie Vardy but it’s a possibility. Some of Vardy’s highlights this season wouldn’t look out of place on the sacred Bernabeu turf and the Spanish giants have been linked with the Foxes striker. It would be an incredible move but one that would, on current form, make total sense.

Would he look out of his depth? It’s difficult to say. On paper, yes. But elite football clubs always seem to get the best out of their players and Vardy would only improve further if he was playing alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.

The main concern; how would he cope with the pressure of playing for Real Madrid? The Bernabeu can be hostile for travelling teams but Madrid’s ardent supporters can turn on their own players too – just look how they’ve treated Gareth Bale. If Vardy failed to score in his first few matches, the pressure would soon crank up on the 28-year-old.

Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has revealed that the club will not stand in Jamie Vardy’s way if Real Madrid approach with a concrete bid. While his work ethic would be appreciated, the Bernabeu crowd may be expecting a big name star and Vardy would potentially be used as the scapegoat if Real failed to win the title.

Having said that, it’s Real Madrid and a move would be almost impossible to turn down. For now though, Vardy should focus on equalling Van Nistelrooy’s record against Newcastle before the opportunity to surpass the Dutchman against former side, Manchester United.