England manager Gareth Southgate has reiterated that ‘the door is open’ for in-form Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy to make an international return.
Vardy stepped back from the national team following the 2018 World Cup in Russia, citing his age and a desire to spend more time with his family.
The Foxes striker never formally retired, and the understanding was that Southgate might recall him should circumstances deem it necessary, for example in an injury crisis.
However, the 32-year-old’s run of scoring in eight successive Premier League games has led to calls for him to be reconsidered ahead of next summer’s European Championships.
“[His form] is not a surprise to me because physically he’s in great condition,” Southgate told beIN Sports. “He’s a bit like James Milner, not having the international week where you’ve got a couple of extra games, and as you’re getting a bit older you can manage your body differently.
“I’m sure he could do both, but at the time after the World Cup he felt that was the decision he wanted to make. We had a very grown up conversation about it and we’ve always said that the door is open.”
Part of Vardy’s decision in 2018 was based around the fact that captain Harry Kane was clearly established as England’s main centre-forward.
In Vardy’s absence, it is Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who sits second to Vardy in the race for the Premier League golden boot, that looks likely to play the role of Kane’s backup at Euro 2020, and Southgate is happy with how things have worked out.
“We think it’s been the right thing to look younger players,” he added. “Tammy Abraham, as an example, is also right up in those goalscoring charts and is going to push for selection for the next few years, I’m sure.
“So we are blessed with good options, but we know what Jamie can do, we know the personality he brings to the group as well, and it’s been great to see him play as well as he has with Leicester.”
