£30,000 Vardy too big a risk

GOAL MACHINE . . . Jamie Vardy is hot property.

JAMIE Vardy almost joined Athletic, it has been revealed — but the transfer fee of £30,000 was thought too much.

Former Athletic manager Paul Dickov said he asked chairman Simon Corney to splash out a transfer fee on a striker who was then scoring regularly for FC Halifax in the Evo-Stik League.

But it was felt the risk over an unproven non-league talent was too great.

Instead, Vardy moved on to the Conference with Fleetwood for an undisclosed sum in August, 2011.

And less than a year later, the England international — currently the Premier League’s top scorer with 11 for the season— moved to Leicester City for a transfer fee of £1million.