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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
James Nursey

Leicester's Jamie Vardy backed for late Golden Boot challenge by Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers believes Jamie Vardy has plenty of goals left in him as he makes a late bid to win this season's Premier League Golden Boot.

His double against Arsenal at the weekend took the Leicester striker onto 18 top-flight goals for the current campaign, just three behind table-topping Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah’s 21.

Vardy is expected to spearhead the Foxes' attack again at Manchester City next Monday night, before Leicester host Chelsea on the final day the following Sunday.

The 32-year-old has never won the Golden Boot, his 24-goal haul in 2015-16 as Leicester won the title seeing Harry Kane pip him to the award by one.

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Red-hot Vardy has two games to catch leader Salah in the Golden Boot race (Action Images via Reuters)

Tottenham ace Kane is now out for the season and won’t be adding to his total of 17. It leaves Salah, Man City's Sergio Aguero, Saido Mane of Liverpool and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the strikers above Vardy in the race.

But the former England international is red-hot, scoring 10 times in nine appearances since Claude Puel was sacked in February.

Asked about Vardy’s prospects in the Golden Boot race, Puel's successor Rodgers replied: “It’s nice he can be close to it. That’s important.

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"There is no doubt he will score many more goals. His hunger and his desire to succeed is there, and with the team becoming more aggressive in how we play it will bring him more opportunities, hopefully.”

Rodgers is relishing working with Vardy and believes Leicester’s new high-tempo, pressing game suits the forward, who got several other chances in the Sunday win over the Gunners that was their fifth in eight games under Rodgers.

The former Liverpool and Celtic boss admits he is relieved Vardy didn’t leave the club after the title win, when Arsenal came calling.

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Vardy's been scoring for fun since Rodgers took over as Leicester manager (Action Images via Reuters)

“Thank God,” added Rodgers. “Jamie was 29 then. With what he’d achieved here, and the stability that he probably has, maybe looking at Arsenal, which is an incredible club, a great club, was he going to play as regularly as he would want to?

“He signed a new contract here and then continued to be the talisman, have stability in his life with his family settled and push on.

“I am so happy he did, because he’s such a good player.”

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