New Jamie Vardy TV documentary confirmed as star's former Leicester team-mate backs 'great character' to shine after welcoming cameras to follow life in Italy with wife Rebekah

A man that went on to win the Premier League title and 26 senior international caps for England was playing non-league football in 2012. Just four years later, he was hoisting the English top-flight title aloft while rewriting the record books as a fearsome No.9 on the grandest of stages.

Vardy spent 13 memorable years with the Foxes, taking in 500 appearances and scoring 200 goals. He bowed out having suffered relegation into the Championship at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but made it clear that boots would not be hung up at 38 years of age.

The enigmatic frontman now finds himself in Serie A, having linked up with an ambitious newly-promoted outfit, Cremonese, and will star in an upcoming documentary series that lifts the lid on his life in Italian football. His fairytale rise to the top of the game will also be covered.

Asked about Vardy becoming a reality TV star, former Foxes team-mate Simpson - speaking in association with Spreadex Sports - told GOAL: “I know there is one [a documentary]. I know there is one coming but not sure when that will come out. He’ll be brilliant, great character. I know he has got a year, possibly two years - different lifestyle, different league, why not do it? Who would have said to him 10 years ago you will be finishing your career in Italy. It’s great for him and I hope he can do well for that team, get some goals and keep doing what he does.”

While looking forward to watching Vardy’s exploits in Italy, Simpson is surprised that nobody in the Premier League took a calculated gamble on a proven top-flight performer - with Manchester United having spent much of the summer in the market for another goalscorer.

Ex-Red Devils academy graduate Simpson added: “I thought someone that is still scoring goals like that for a struggling Leicester team... It was the minutes that he played for me for Leicester, at his age. He wasn’t just coming off the bench for 20 minutes, he was playing full games, 80 minutes, leading the line as a skipper. You’ve got 20 minutes, Jamie Vardy coming off the bench, he’s not just going to run in behind anymore like he used to, he’s still got pace but he’s actually getting goals in the box - sniffing goals, headers, good finishes.

“Very surprised that nobody took him and took a punt, knowing that he would get you, for me, 10 goals and again be a mentor to other players. You don’t have to be a coach, you can be a mentor as a team-mate. I was very surprised. I was pushing for United but that wasn’t meant to be. I’m surprised that didn’t happen.”

Vardy is ready to silence any doubters in Italy, having told reporters when asked if he and fellow Serie A newcomers Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric still have the hunger to compete at the highest level: “You must be one of the doubters. You're one that I'll have to prove wrong. For me age is just a number. As long as my legs are doing exactly what they used to and still feel as fresh as they do then I will carry on. At the moment there are no signs of them slowing down so I'll keep going and I will be giving my all for this club.

“I will learn Italian, but [for now] it is not a problem: football has its own language, with the ball. The main task is making sure we stay in the league, and that's how it was when I was at Leicester. It was never any, 'we are going to go for this', it was always, 'we need to stay in the league', that's the main thing. So all you do, you go out, you take each game one-by-one, give your all, what will be will be.”

Vardy has taken in two appearances for Cremonese so far and is still waiting on his first goal. He has been nursing an untimely injury, which has limited his involvement, with documentary cameras set to offer an insight into how he overcomes any hurdles that are placed in his path.