JAMIE VARDY wrote another glorious chapter in his Leicester fairytale – then hilariously produced a Klinsmann slide that went badly wrong amid the celebrations.
The striker, 37, scored twice to take his tally in all competitions this season to TWENTY, with Kasey McAteer adding a third as the Foxes clinched the Championship title with a 3-0 win at preston.
AlamyJamie Vardy scored twice to secure Leicester City the Championship title[/caption]
XHe nearly ended up injured with a slide as the party got underway afterwards[/caption]
How apt that it was the hero of their incredible 2016 Prem title triumph who last night again led them to glory.
Vardy and Co celebrated in front of 5,500 Foxes fans.
And the veteran star said: “Scoring in front of our travelling supporters to become champions, it doesn’t get better than that!”
The ex-England star produced a running slide in front of the visiting fans amid the party atmosphere after the full-time whistle.
However, the wet turf ensured he went flying into the advertising hoardings.
At least he saw the funny side as the cameras picked up on him laughing and saying to his colleagues afterwards: “Fucking hell I went flying.”
Vardy, out of contract in the summer, may not have started as many games this season but he has been huge for Enzo Maresca.
Despite only starting 18 league matches, and coming off the bench 17 times, he has still managed to do what he does best . . . score.
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That is now 18 in the Championship he has netted.
The first was a scuffed 36th-minute effort that dribbled into the net.
And his second was about being in the right place at the right time to cash in on Wout Faes’ skidding strike bouncing back off the left post to hammer home.
He was denied a hat-trick by a Freddie Woodman save and got a standing ovation when taken off with 15 minutes left. It sparked wild scenes in the Leicester end, which had been in party mode long before kick-off at Deepdale.
The Championship trophy will be presented to the Foxes fittingly at the King Power on Saturday when they take on Blackburn.
Kick-off was slightly delayed last night as ground staff went around bursting loads of blue balloons that had made their way on the pitch.
Wilfred Ndidi got in behind Preston’s defence after running on to a McAteer pass but his cross landed on the roof of the net.
Vardy then almost put the Foxes in front after racing through from a clever Akgun pass but Woodman saved as the striker struck his shot first time.
McAteer then hit a feeble effort when space opened up at the edge of the box and missed a sitter after being teed up by a great Abdul Fatawu cross.
But finally the deadlock was broken. Abdul Fatawu played a ball into Yunus Akgun in the box and he fed Vardy who, despite scuffing his effort, found the bottom left corner.
After the break Vardy netted another when Harry Winks found Faes on the edge of the box, and his 15-yarder bounced back off the post but Vardy blasted home.
The Foxes hero fancied another when Preston gave the ball away but his shot was well saved.
But the game was all over when McAteer headed home on 67 minutes before party got underway at the final whistle.