Dean Smith: Jamie Vardy is still hungry and keen to do well at Leicester

Jamie Vardy still has the spark to send Leicester to safety, according to boss Dean Smith.

The Foxes’ manager feels he can get the best of the 36-year-old as the 2016 champions battle to beat the fall.

Vardy has scored just once in the Premier League this season, in a 4-0 win over Wolves in October, but he started Smith’s opener last weekend as the Foxes lost 3-1 at Manchester. City.

He was substituted at half time but, ahead of Wolves’ visit on Saturday, Smith backed the former England man to comply.

“Hunger and desire are there. Are your legs there? I couldn’t rule out his legs with what I’ve seen so far. I have no qualms about playing him,” said Smith, with Leicester second-bottom and two points from safety.

“I don’t think he needs to adapt. He can still play that role of being off the shoulder and making the runs.

“The problem has been if the ball doesn’t come, and the ball hasn’t been coming too often. When that happens, you go a little deeper to get involved and that’s what I feel like has happened.

“Vards doesn’t want to rest, he just wants to go play. We’ve been dragging him off the training ground, he’s been doing extra spikes. It’s what I wanted to see.

“I spoke to Craig (Shakespeare, assistant manager), who has worked with him, to get an idea of ​​what he was like and Craig raved about him.

“He just became the first player in Leicester history to play 300 Premier League games, which tells you everything you need to know about him.

“He is 36 now, so he will have to be managed, others will too. I have told them that the easy part for me is choosing the team. May the 11 be happy. The others are the important ones because we can have a strong bench to finish the games for us”.