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Former Leicester City winger Matt Piper believes Jamie Vardy will reach the 150 Premier League goals club this season, after the 37-year-old’s strike against Brighton brought him within eight goals of matching Michael Owen’s record.
Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester’s When You’re Smiling podcast, Piper said: “The only thing that would stop him doing it this season is maybe injury. He is getting older, so he will pick up little niggles here and there, but we have just got to hope that he has a season clean from injury.
“If he does, I think he will get there. Let’s go one step further: could he get into the Premier League’s all-time top 10 goalscorers this season? I think why not, especially now we have Ruud [van Nistelrooy] as manager!
“Number 10 is Jermain Defoe on 162 goals, so Vardy probably won’t get there this season but he will keep playing until he gets into that top 10.
“I’m not saying that in jest, I’m being serious. But, if he doesn’t get there [in his career]it doesn’t matter.
“The level Jamie Vardy operates at – only starting at top-flight level when he was 27 years old, scoring the amount of goals he has, becoming the player he has become, Enzo Maresca is saying he is better than Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane – is magnificent.
“It would just be amazing if he could be in that top 10. His career isn’t over yet – I don’t think it’s anywhere near finished yet – so if he could push himself into that top 10 it would be much deserved for the player he has been over the years.”
