How do you define a club legend?

[Bilo]

Vardy almost is Leicester City now. It's hard to remember the club before him and even harder to imagine it after him. It's difficult to think of players in world football, let alone English football, who made such a difference to their club through sheer individual impact.

 

Maradona at Napoli? Maldini at Milan? That's obviously not to say Vardy is in their stratosphere in terms of ability, but in terms of transformation of the club? It's an argument you could make.

 

Not to mention every element of his story. No professional football until his mid-twenties, came from non-league, almost quit football altogether after a difficult first season, breaking a scoring record, part of the greatest English football story of modern times, turning down life changing sums from world famous clubs for loyalty, winning the FA Cup after becoming the first player to play in every round of the competition, getting relegated and scoring the goals that helped us make an instant return. A scriptwriter would turn that down for being too far-fetched.

 

Retire the shirt number, name a stand after him, build a statue, lifetime job at the club like the Birch, he deserves it all and more. We love him now. We'll remember him even more fondly once he hangs up his boots.

 

[Globalfox]

I will throw in Alan Birchenal due to the longevity as a player and ambassador through highs, lows, tradgedies and adversity. Players like Mharez and Lineker soured their status. Worth Ing is a legend for the pure joy of football he delivers. Vardy is not a legend as he surpasses all criteria.

[coolhandfox]

I agrue Vardy isn't only a LCFC legend but is also a PL Legend.

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, Bilo said:

Vardy almost is Leicester City now. It's hard to remember the club before him and even harder to imagine it after him. It's difficult to think of players in world football, let alone English football, who made such a difference to their club through sheer individual impact.

 

Maradona at Napoli? Maldini at Milan? That's obviously not to say Vardy is in their stratosphere in terms of ability, but in terms of transformation of the club? It's an argument you could make.

 

Not to mention every element of his story. No professional football until his mid-twenties, came from non-league, almost quit football altogether after a difficult first season, breaking a scoring record, part of the greatest English football story of modern times, turning down life changing sums from world famous clubs for loyalty, winning the FA Cup after becoming the first player to play in every round of the competition, getting relegated and scoring the goals that helped us make an instant return. A scriptwriter would turn that down for being too far-fetched.

 

Retire the shirt number, name a stand after him, build a statue, lifetime job at the club like the Birch, he deserves it all and more. We love him now. We'll remember him even more fondly once he hangs up his boots.

 

Completely agree. I've said before but I struggle to think of a single player that has had as much individual impact on a club than Vardy. I don't think it's extreme to say none of this last 12 years would've happened without him

[CrazyKopCorner]

I'd go with 

 

Wallington 

Walshy 

Izzet 

Vardy 

 

During my near 50 years. 

 

You could include the whole of the team that won the league are legends to a certain extent but the above for me embody exactly what constitutes a club legend i.e amazing contributions, loyalty, exceptional ability, 100% effort 100% of the time, are great team mates (you'd feel 10 feet tall running out with any of them), the indescribable X factor and loved by 95% + of all fans  

 

Edited 12 January by CrazyKopCorner

[Stuntman_Mike]

2 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

I agrue Vardy isn't only a LCFC legend but is also a PL Legend.

He's going to be missed by fans of all clubs when he retires. Even those that wouldn't want to admit it. 

[Bilo]

3 minutes ago, Globalfox said:

I will throw in Alan Birchenal due to the longevity as a player and ambassador through highs, lows, tradgedies and adversity. Players like Mharez and Lineker soured their status. Worth Ing is a legend for the pure joy of football he delivers. Vardy is not a legend as he surpasses all criteria.

We've got to be one of the very few clubs where the GOAT debate isn't a debate.

 

When you consider all of the incredible players we've had such as Lineker, Shilton, Banks, Worthington, Weller, Mahrez, Kanté, Schmeichel and so many more, that's saying something. Best £1m signing in the history of football. 

[Dr The Singh]

Defined by myself and by me

[Sampson]

3 hours ago, The Horse's Mouth said:

Think people confuse legends with what you’d call a cult hero. Of our title winning team id probably only consider Kasper, Wes, Mahrez and Vardy in that. Mahrez is a big exception to the rule purely because he we will never have a player of his talent again 

I would add Albrighton to that list too from the title winning team  - 300+ appearances for the club, won everything, one of the most committed players ever to wear the shirt, scored 2 of the biggest goals in the club’s history vs Sevilla and Brugge in the CL run, always think of his pin perfect drilled cross to Ulloa in the final minute vs Norwich too to get us back on track after the Arsenal loss in a key pivotal moment in our title winning season etc. etc. 

Edited 12 January by Sampson

[foxfanazer]

Whatever we do to honour Vardy when he retires won't feel enough. Birmingham retired Jude Bellingham's shirt number for christ sake

[westernpark]

9 minutes ago, Globalfox said:

I will throw in Alan Birchenal due to the longevity as a player and ambassador through highs, lows, tradgedies and adversity. Players like Mharez and Lineker soured their status. Worth Ing is a legend for the pure joy of football he delivers. Vardy is not a legend as he surpasses all criteria.

How has Lineker soured his status? Not only a great player but more so, ploughed his own money into saving our club. 

[coolhandfox]

1 minute ago, foxfanazer said:

Whatever we do to honour Vardy when he retires won't feel enough. Birmingham retired Jude Bellingham's shirt number for christ sake

I don't want us to do that, I think it nice to have a icon shirt number, like the number 7 at Man U which other players aspire too.

 

We need a statue, stand name after him. 

 

Hopefully if the extension of the ground goes ahead we will have a museum to celebrate lot of out history 

[coolhandfox]

Legends and Cult hero's are the ones you tell your kids or grandkids about when you are old 

[Hamilton Fox]

48 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

I agree with others that Vardy is out on his own in front. No one else even come close. And YES, that includes Lee Philpott.

Philpott won us a couple of sky 5 a side masters tournaments if that counts, about all he was good for..

[AKCJ]

Probably need to meet 3 of the following to qualify as a legend.

 

1) They turned down opportunities to leave.

2) They won trophies.

3) They were good (for the level we were at at the time)

4) They stayed for a long time (I don't think you can be a legend if you played for a season or two).

[Bilo]

11 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

I don't want us to do that, I think it nice to have a icon shirt number, like the number 7 at Man U which other players aspire too.

 

We need a statue, stand name after him. 

 

Hopefully if the extension of the ground goes ahead we will have a museum to celebrate lot of out history 

The retired shirt number is the one I'm least sure about because it's clearly the most natural number to give to a striker. Birmingham retired shirt number 22, which is much easier to skip when handing out shirt numbers.

 

I do fear for whoever wears the Number 9 shirt after Vardy, though. One hell of a lot of pressure.

[SouthStandUpperTier]

5 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Probably need to meet 3 of the following to qualify as a legend.

 

1) They turned down opportunities to leave.

2) They won trophies.

3) They were good (for the level we were at at the time)

4) They stayed for a long time (I don't think you can be a legend if you played for a season or two).

Under this criteria Danny Ward is more of a club legend than Kante.

[coolhandfox]

2 minutes ago, Bilo said:

The retired shirt number is the one I'm least sure about because it's clearly the most natural number to give to a striker. Birmingham retired shirt number 22, which is much easier to skip when handing out shirt numbers.

 

I do fear for whoever wears the Number 9 shirt after Vardy, though. One hell of a lot of pressure.

I just like clubs having iconic shirts.

[Electric Yetis]

20 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

Whatever we do to honour Vardy when he retires won't feel enough. Birmingham retired Jude Bellingham's shirt number for christ sake

25 years today since the match in your avatar!

 

Still remember it like yesterday!

[bovril]

I think the word "legend" suggests a person or moment important in our history or tradition that people will talk about for years to come. A legendary goal is one that people still get misty-eyed talking about. Vardy's first at home to Liverpool, Cambiasso against Man United, or even Cambiasso against QPR. Parker at Stoke in 1996. 'Where were you when...' moments.

 

Therefore in terms of legendary players, I think it's really hard to argue against any of our 15/16 title winning team deserving the tag. Whereas I would say someone like Maddison, as good as he was, is not a legend because we won't be talking about him or any of his moments nostalgically after a few beers. Tielemans is a legend for me, because of the Wembley goal.

Edited 12 January by bovril

[AKCJ]

7 minutes ago, SouthStandUpperTier said:

Under this criteria Danny Ward is more of a club legend than Kante.

I wouldn't argue that Danny Ward has won trophies here.

 

The club has won trophies, sure. But he hasn't. He's just been sat in the stands.

 

Also Kante isn't a club legend.

[bovril]

Just now, AKCJ said:

I wouldn't argue that Danny Ward has won trophies here.

 

The club has won trophies, sure. But he hasn't. He's just been sat in the stands.

 

Also Kante isn't a club legend.

He played as many games in our 2021 FA Cup run as Kasper. 

[murphy]

44 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

Would most here include Banks and Shilton?  I wonder if Everton fans consider Mike Trebilcock a legend. 2 goals in the 1966 F A Cup Final (after they were 0-2 down) but played less than 2 dozen matches in his time there

Mike trebilcock might be considered a legend for three other reasons. 

 

 

Edited 12 January by murphy

[Foxdiamond]

3 minutes ago, murphy said:

Mike trebilcock might be considered a legend for three other reasons. 

 

 

Luckily for him the last syllable is coe not cock 

[CosbehFox]

2 hours ago, tinpot_fox said:

Unfortunately for some peoples opinions, Youri Tielemans will always be viewed as a club legend for the FA cup final goal. The Perez assist, Schmeichel saves and Iheanacho overall FA goal scoring could be argued to also but the goal will always be on the highlight reel and his name will always be the only one under either team name on the score line. 
 

so a single moment can also make a player legendary.

 

 

 

I will be one of those blokes in their mid 50s wearing the Tielemans FA Cup Final reissue shirt made by our new Yemeni overloads