Jamie Vardy's former teammate convinced he'll be a success in Serie A and outs striker's taste for finer things in life

After a slow start to life in Serie A, the latest chapter in Jamie Vardy's fairytale is slowly taking shape in the town of Cremona in the north of Italy. 

The striker made the shock move to Cremonese at the end of the summer transfer window, and after taking a few weeks to get back up to speed after little pre-season and to shake off an early injury niggle, Vardy is looking like the player who's been tormenting Premier League defences for years.

He opened his account in a 1-1 draw with Atalanta last month, before giving new Juventus boss Luciano Spalletti a scare as he scored in Cremonese's narrow defeat to the Turin side. 

Those goals and his all-around performances have both the Cremonese supporters and fans of Serie A excited about what could come from the 38-year-old, who still looks like has plenty to offer in the winter of his career. 

One man who is expecting just that is former Leicester teammate Marc Albrighton, who's been keeping a watchful eye on his pal since the move to Italy.

Together, the pair were part of the Foxes' once in a lifetime Premier League title win in 2016, and Albrighton is in no doubt that Vardy will be a success in his latest venture. 

"I must admit, I was shocked that he did go there," he admitted exclusively to DAZN News, thanks to iGamingNuts

"He probably took a few weeks to sort of bed in, stuff off the pitch in terms of your family moving, it's a big change for them having been at the same place for so long.

"But I think now he's involved and he's playing and he's obviously scored a couple of goals, I think they've taken to him.

"I think he'll do really well there. I think he'll score a few goals this season. 

"He's not just a player who runs in behind anymore. He has got that other side to his game where he can hold the ball up and link the play, and bring players into play.

"I hope as a team they do push on. I've seen enough of them to see that they have got quality."

Marco Mantovani/Getty Images

It's a quality Cremonese will hope to push the team on this season, as they currently sit in 11th place, having suffered back-to-back defeats in the league. 

But away from the actual football, Vardy seems to be enjoying life in a new country, too. During his time in England, the former England man often lived up to that reputation of a Sheffield lad who loves a Red Bull and it fuelled a hugely successful persona on the pitch. 

However, having spoken to his former teammate, Albrighton has outed Vardy for a love of the finer things, and thinks the Italian culture will suit him. 

Adding, "He likes it out there. Even when he was at Leicester, where he lived was a fair way out and sort of in the sticks, he liked that time where he was just in his house alone or with his family.

"He loved the football side of it, but he loved the chill-out side and the relaxed side as well. So I think it'll suit him well.

"I think he'll tell you he's quite cultured himself. Funnily enough, you probably wouldn't believe it. But he likes the finer things as well, which I know you get a lot of in Italy. The red wine and the coffees and the food, he'll be all over that.

"I'd love to get out there and go and watch and see the difference in the ways he's living out there and see some of them cultural differences. It's something that I never had in my career.  

"I really respect the fact that he's gone out there and tried something new." 

Vardy will be back in action this weekend as Serie A resumes following the international break, when Cremonese entertain high-flying Roma. 
 

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