‘Unbelievable’ — Leicester Legend Jamie Vardy Backs Youri Tielemans to Reach Another Level at Manchester United
Former Leicester City captain and club legend Jamie Vardy has delivered a glowing assessment of Youri Tielemans following the Belgian midfielder’s high-profile move to Manchester United, insisting that his former team-mate has the quality and mentality to reach another level at Old Trafford.
Tielemans’ reported £35 million move from Aston Villa to Manchester United has generated plenty of discussion, but one of the strongest endorsements has come from someone who knows the midfielder from his early years in English football.
Vardy spent four-and-a-half years alongside Tielemans at Leicester, witnessing first-hand the Belgian’s development from a promising young midfielder into an established Premier League star. Having played alongside him during some of Leicester’s most memorable seasons, Vardy believes the 29-year-old still has another level to reach.
Speaking on his Jamie Vardy’s Having a Party podcast, the Leicester icon reflected on his former team-mate’s development and explained why he was impressed by Tielemans from the moment he first encountered him.
“I just think he’ll start kicking on again if I’m honest,” Vardy said while discussing the midfielder’s move to Manchester United.
Vardy also recalled facing Tielemans while representing England against Belgium and being immediately struck by his ability.
“I played against him with Belgium, he was unbelievable and you were like, ‘Wow, who is this?’, because he was only young at the time,” the former Leicester striker explained.
That impression was reinforced when Leicester eventually brought Tielemans to the King Power Stadium, initially on loan. Vardy remembered being so impressed by the club’s acquisition that he immediately told his Leicester team-mates they had signed someone special.
“It then came through that we [Leicester] had signed him on loan at first and I remember going around all the lads and saying, ‘We’ve signed a player here!’, and I mean a really good player,” Vardy added.
Tielemans would go on to establish himself as one of Leicester’s most important midfielders, developing his reputation as a technically gifted player capable of controlling matches, creating opportunities and producing decisive moments.
His most famous moment in a Leicester shirt came in the 2021 FA Cup final, when his spectacular strike against Chelsea secured the club’s first FA Cup triumph. That achievement further established Tielemans as a midfielder capable of delivering on major occasions.
His career subsequently took him to Aston Villa, where he continued to develop under Unai Emery. During his time at Villa Park, Tielemans became an important part of a side competing at the highest level of English football and helped the club secure European success and a top-four finish.
Now, however, Manchester United represents the biggest chapter of his career so far.
United reportedly activated the £35 million release clause contained in Tielemans’ Aston Villa contract before securing his signature on a long-term agreement. The Belgian has committed himself to the Red Devils until 2031, giving the club a proven Premier League midfielder who can immediately contribute while still possessing experience at the highest level.
For Tielemans, the move represents an opportunity to compete for major trophies with one of the biggest clubs in world football.
The midfielder has already made clear that he sees Manchester United as an ideal destination for the next stage of his career.
“I feel like this is a good step for me to push on and hopefully win many, many titles with the club,” Tielemans said in comments to Manchester United’s official media.
His ambitions will place considerable expectations on his shoulders. Manchester United are looking to return to the top of English and European football, and Tielemans is expected to play an important role in that rebuilding process.
While Vardy has focused on Tielemans’ footballing ability, another Leicester legend, Wes Morgan, has highlighted a different quality that could prove equally important at Old Trafford: his dedication.
Morgan, who also appeared alongside Vardy on the podcast, remembered Tielemans as a player who consistently worked to improve himself away from the spotlight.
“What I’ve seen with Youri is dedication to his job,” Morgan said.
The former Leicester captain recalled seeing Tielemans regularly working in the gym and putting in additional effort beyond normal training sessions.
“I always used to see him in the gym, working extra hard and doing extra work. He was really working on improving himself,” Morgan explained.
That mentality, Morgan believes, is one of the reasons Tielemans has continued to progress throughout his career.
“He never took it easy in training, he always gave it 100 per cent,” Morgan added.
The former defender also praised Tielemans’ technical qualities, awareness and ability to make decisions quickly under pressure.
“He’s another one that has that technical capability, that awareness and that speed of thought,” Morgan said.
Morgan’s assessment will be particularly encouraging for Manchester United supporters. The Premier League is physically demanding, while playing for United brings additional pressure because every performance is closely scrutinised.
Tielemans already understands the league, has experienced the demands of European competition and knows what it takes to compete for major honours. Those qualities could help him adapt quickly to life at Old Trafford.
Vardy’s comments also carry significant weight because he watched Tielemans mature during one of the most important periods in Leicester’s modern history.
The Belgian arrived in England as a young player with considerable potential. Years later, he leaves Aston Villa for Manchester United as an experienced international midfielder with Premier League pedigree.
That progression is precisely why Vardy believes the move could unlock something even greater.
The former striker’s message is effectively that Tielemans has not yet reached his ceiling. At 29, the Belgian is entering a period where experience, physical maturity and technical ability can combine to produce some of the most influential football of his career.
Manchester United will hope that prediction becomes reality.
For Tielemans, the challenge is now to translate the qualities that impressed Vardy and Morgan at Leicester into consistent performances on one of football’s biggest stages.
If he can bring his technical intelligence, passing ability, professionalism and leadership to Old Trafford, he could become an important figure in Manchester United’s ambitions over the coming seasons.
Vardy has already seen what Tielemans can do.
Now, the football world will wait to see whether the Belgian can prove his former captain right and truly reach “another level” in a Manchester United shirt.
For the Leicester legend, there is little doubt about the talent involved. Tielemans was “unbelievable” when Vardy first saw him as a youngster, and more than a decade into his professional career, the belief is that his best football may still have another chapter to come.
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