Vardy reflects on brutal journey from non-league to Serie A in new Netflix film

Jamie Vardy reveals the physical and mental toll of football's relentless grind in his new Netflix documentary.

Raw and unfiltered life story The opening line of a fresh Netflix production about Jamie Vardy’s life reads, 'A raw, caged animal, drinking, partying and fighting.' The documentary captures Vardy, now aged 39 and competing in Italy’s top division with Cremonese, using a cruder term to describe himself. His story stands out as that of an underdog, a classic success tale of rising from nothing, and he shares reflections on his life and career with reporters at Netflix’s London headquarters. Vardy adds, 'I don’t have time to reflect, to be honest,' speaking after the first screening of his Untold UK film, where his wife Rebekah listens quietly but occasionally reacts to questions or his answers. ## Season’s end fuels urge to escape Vardy admits that after the current campaign ends, he simply wants to shut out football entirely. He states, 'At the minute, it's playing, the season finishes and I just want to forget about football. I need to mentally forget everything and get back to a normal place.' The player knew when he signed for Cremonese instead of the Dutch club Feyenoord that he was joining a side fighting against relegation, and they remain in the bottom three with three matches remaining. 'Physically and mentally, football is a killer,' he explains. 'It's such a grind on your body and your mind, so I just want to completely forget about it.' ## Love for game remains despite hardships Vardy clarifies that his comments are not complaints, insisting, 'Of course I love it. If I didn’t still love it, I wouldn’t still be playing.' Yet when asked if he would relive his journey, he responds honestly, 'If you asked me to go and do it all again, I wouldn’t.' His path includes starting in the eighth tier at Stocksbridge Park Steels before winning the Premier League and earning England caps while at Leicester City, illustrating the exhausting climb he has endured. ## Early stumbles and factory grind Sheffield Wednesday released Vardy as a teenager for being too small, but the documentary uncovers footage of his explosive scoring form at Stocksbridge alongside his factory job producing medical splints. In 2007, Vardy admits he had 'no stability' in his life, detailing a conviction for assault after a night of drinking that forced him to wear an ankle monitor for half a year. He also faced a 6pm curfew that required him to leave matches early. ## From obscurity to Leicester breakthrough Vardy’s journey continued with moves to Halifax Town—where he met lifelong agent John Morris—and later Fleetwood Town before his £1 million transfer to then-Championship side Leicester City. Throughout his story, the 'Inbetweeners,' a tight-knit group of male friends from Sheffield, serve as his primary support network, along with his wife. Vardy says, 'If one of us is having a problem, then get it in the group. Might get abused for a bit but at least it's us lot keeping an eye on each other.' ## Culture shock and personal struggles Former Leicester midfielder Andy King recalls Vardy experiencing severe 'culture shock' upon arriving at the club, with the striker admitting he initially felt inadequate. Club physiotherapist Dave Rennie backs up accounts of Vardy’s battles with alcohol, intensified by the move, including 'manufacturing his own Skittles vodka at home.' Vardy sometimes arrived at training hungover and, on one occasion, was unreachable by his then-pregnant wife Rebekah as she faced a difficult pregnancy. ## Turning point after fatherhood Concerns grew that Vardy might derail his career, but intervention from a 'good psychologist,' the patience of manager Nigel Pearson, and his own maturity following the birth of his daughter Ella helped him stay on track. Fame brought new challenges, including a 2015 tabloid exposé showing Vardy using a racial slur against a Japanese man in a casino. He later called it 'a massive, massive learning curve,' saying he had never been taught which words were acceptable. ## Family secrets and career milestones The documentary highlights one of Vardy’s toughest moments when he rushed home from a team-bonding trip to Helsinki after learning a tabloid was set to publish a story about his secret biological father, whom he had never met. Despite the hurdles, Vardy became the face and leading scorer of Leicester’s historic 2015-16 Premier League title win, lifted the FA Cup, and fulfilled his agent’s long-ago prediction—made when he joined Halifax—that he would play for England. ## England call-ups and mental strain Asked if he could have achieved more internationally after retiring from England in 2018, Vardy replies, 'Possibly. We’ll never know.' He admits, 'I’ll be honest, going away with England is unbelievable—you want to play for your country—but the mental side of it was tough.' The situation improved under Gareth Southgate, but earlier regimes left players isolated in hotel rooms. 'You trained and then you were just back in your hotel room, pulling your hair out,' he says. 'There’s only so much time you can spend on a PlayStation or speaking to the kids on video calls. You’ve already not seen them and now you’re getting pulled away for another two weeks. It’s tough.' ## Protecting his career and family Vardy explains that after the World Cup, he prioritized safeguarding his legs to prolong his club career. 'At the time, after the World Cup, I just wanted to protect [my legs] as much as possible, prolong my club career, and as I’m still going now, it was obviously the right decision,' he says. Vardy recently returned to watch Leicester, now relegated to League One, and admits, 'I watch as many games as I physically can and it’s not nice to see.' ## No interest in coaching future When asked about management, Vardy dismisses the idea outright, stating, 'Management? No. I’ve not really thought about it. I’ve not looked that far down the line.' His wife, watching from a luxurious mini-cinema, calls his lack of planning 'infuriating.' Though the film avoids revisiting the 'Wagatha Christie' social media feud between her and Coleen Rooney, Rebekah plays a central role as Vardy works to better himself throughout his coming-of-age narrative. ## Parenting and long-term focus Vardy describes raising his children with as much normalcy as possible, saying, 'We bring them up as normally as possible. They need to have a home life, be kids and enjoy it, but also do what I didn’t and work hard at school.' This mindset helps him aim for another season in Serie A with Cremonese, potentially extending his career into his 40s. 'I wake up in the morning, train and go again—the same on matchdays,' he explains. 'I give as much as I can. I still love football or I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.' ## Could another player replicate Vardy’s path? When questioned if another non-league player could replicate his success, Vardy replies, 'I think, luckily, I was just a bit of a freak. I don’t think it will probably happen again, no, but it happened for me and it was hard work. It really was tough, but all worth it.'