Jamie Vardy may be forced to change his ways by Premier League crackdown
Jamie Vardy may be forced to tone down his goal celebrations with the Premier League considering harsher sanctions for players who rile up the crowd or opposition players.
As well as being a supreme finisher, Vardy is renowned for his mocking celebrations. Just 10 days ago, after scoring at Tottenham, he taunted the home crowd over their lack of a Premier League title.
That’s just one of many examples of Vardy’s antics over the past decade, the Leicester City striker delighting in winding up opposition fans, and occasionally players too. But he may now have to tread more carefully.
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In a debate sparked by Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly and his imitation of Erling Haaland following his goal against Manchester City, the Premier League’s chief football officer Tony Scholes has said celebrations that cross the line from entertaining to mockery or criticism would need to be dealt with. That could lead to punishments during the game, or after the fact.
Earlier this season, Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye was booked for mimicking a seagull when he scored against Brighton. A few years ago, when Vardy pretended to be an eagle after scoring at Crystal Palace, he avoided punishment.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg for Vardy. He’s howled in front of Wolves fans, boing-boinged around the Hawthorns, shushed plenty of fans and cupped his ears to countless more.
"There's a balance,” Scholes told Sky Sports. “I think we all like to see celebrations. Some of the celebrations have been very funny, entertaining, but there's a line. Once it crosses over into mockery or criticism then we would need to deal with it.”
