Foxes earn first league win of 2022 as Jamie Vardy returns
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers said having Jamie Vardy back gives his side "a huge boost" after the striker made a goal-scoring return from injury at Burnley to give the Foxes their first league win of 2022.
The 35-year-old forward was introduced from the bench for his first appearance of the year and played a huge role in earning the Leicester Foxes all three points by setting up James Maddison for the opener before settling the game with a close-range header.
This was his 10th Premier League goal of the season, but his first since late November. This follows a run of five matches for the team with no wins in the striker’s absence.
"We knew we had James [Maddison] and Jamie's quality to come on,"
Rodgers told BBC Sport.
"James scored a brilliant goal and then you could see the confidence from it. Then Vardy was there and did what Vardy does best.”
Vardy has been absent with a hamstring injury since the 1-0 win at Liverpool - the last time the Foxes had won.
He will now be champing at the bit to start against Leeds on Saturday.
"He is a real catalyst for the team. You see his energy. He makes runs and presses and is normally in the right areas to score. He is a huge boost for us. To have that quality and mentality back in the team will help us.”
The win takes the Foxes to 30 points after a poor recent run of league results.
There is no respite for Sean Dyche's Burnley side, who have seen their recent crucial revival now depleted to a point behind 17th-placed Everton.
“I accept that we’ve had a very good run. We’re a work in progress but we’re not the real deal. You know sometimes you have softer occasions, softer performances, and tonight was one. It wasn’t a million miles off, we haven’t been all season, but the detail we have been showing in our performance wasn’t there at both ends of the pitch and it cost us.”
Burnley has a tough home game against Chelsea as they again seek to claw their way out of the bottom three. (BBC Sport)
