Leicester City gained three points on second place Manchester City with an impressive 2-0 win over Liverpool on Tuesday. Both goals came from striker Jamie Vardy, including one that could be a contender for goal of the year.
In the 61st minute, a ball from Riyad Mahrez sent Vardy in against a lone Liverpool defender; Vardy let the ball drop once and volleyed it past the Liverpool keeper to open the scoring. Vardy added a second goal 10 minutes later to put Leicester up, 2-0.
Despite leading the Premier League in goals, Vardy is earning in the neighborhood of $57,000 a week, according to the Guardian. However after an excellent campaign, Leicester City started talks with Vardy for a deal that will offer him a "significant" pay raise and keep him at King Power Stadium until 2019, according to the Independent. The Premier League's leading scorer with 18 goals, Vardy has established himself as an elite striker, and the club is eager to show it values Vardy and what he can do on the pitch, according to the Guardian.
Sixteen months ago, Vardy hadn't scored a Premier League goal - let alone represented his country in international competition. After helping Leicester to avoid relegation in 2015, Vardy was called upon to represent England under Roy Hodgson in Euro Cup qualifying. After earning four caps with England, Vardy started 2015-2016 on a torrid pace, becoming the first player to score in 11 consecutive Premier League matches.
There is no doubt Leicester City would not be at the top of the Premier League if not for Vardy, but one question remains: Exactly how much is he worth to the club? The answer might appear in the coming weeks, as the Foxes will face challenges from Premier League heavy weights Manchester City and Arsenal.
