Ryan Reynolds & Rob Mac missed out! ‘Was something there’ in Jamie Vardy to Wrexham transfer talk as Burnley new boy is backed to play well beyond 40

Premier League title winner Vardy found himself without a club in the summer of 2026 after severing ties with Cremonese on the back of their relegation out of Serie A. Just one season was spent enjoying an Italian job a long way from home.

Several landing spots for the former England international were speculated on, with it suggested at one stage that he could retrace steps to Leicester and help the Foxes to rebuild on the back of successive relegations that have left them languishing in League One.

Emotion was taken out of the equation there, with Vardy prepared to bide his time and wait on the right offer. Many saw him as the perfect fit for ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ and a couple of Hollywood co-owners at the Racecourse Ground.

Such a switch may have held some appeal, but it was Burnley - who count NFL legend JJ Watt among their investors - that ultimately put a 12-month contract in place. Vardy will now be lining up against Reynolds and Mac in the Championship.

Asked if there was ever any substance to the Wrexham chat, Vardy’s former Leicester team-mate Simpson - who was speaking courtesy of Free Bets, home of the best betting sites - told GOAL: “I think there was something there. There were a few things that were there. I did speak to him.

“You know what I wanted? I know it's happened now but I would have liked to have seen him go to Everton. You need a striker, 20 minutes left in a game, coming on for [Thierno] Barry. Anyway, that didn't happen. That's just what I was thinking.

“He's still fit, he's still sharp, he's still going to get you goals. There's nothing on him, his weight and stuff. I hope he starts getting more games and getting goals because that's Jamie Vardy. He's always got another story, another chapter.”

Vardy’s deal at Turf Moor will take him beyond a notable birthday on January 11. He will turn 40 at that point and finds himself joining an exclusive club of players - one that includes the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Gianluigi Buffon and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - that have competed at a high level beyond that point.

Quizzed on whether there are still a few chapters left in the Vardy fairytale, as he branches out into the world of YouTube and Bundesliga match streaming, Simpson added: “I think he has got more in him.

“I think it'll come down to how he's managed with Tuesday and Saturday. I remember when he did that at Leicester, when he got them promoted. He scored 20-plus goals. He looks after himself but he needs managing right because it's tough to do that, especially in the Championship. It's up to how the manager manages him. As long as he's still hungry, which he is, he could do another year after.

“He's also looking at the future and doing his own little bits, which is only right to do by the way. I hope he keeps going because there's only a few of us left from that [Leicester title-winning] team that are still playing.”

There is never any threat of Vardy giving anything less than 100 per cent to any given cause. He has made one 25-minute appearance off the bench for Burnley so far, with the Clarets enduring a surprisingly dismal start to the season that has left them winless and rooted to the foot of the Championship table.

Wrexham have also endured a tough time, picking up seven points from as many games, and both clubs will be seeking inspiration from somewhere heading into an international break that will allow collective reset buttons to be pushed.