Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has been voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association (FWA). The 29-year-old has scored 22 league goals to help fire his team from an outsider to odds-on favorite to win the Premier League title for the first time this season. Vardy, who built his career away from the spotlight at Stocksbridge, Halifax and Fleetwood Town, became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Premier League matches earlier this season. "The Jamie Vardy story clearly captured the imagination of so many writers," FWA Chairman Andy Dunn told Reuters. "His record-breaking feat of scoring in 11 consecutive matches is the jewel in what will surely be Leicester City's Premier League crown. "And the Footballer of the Year award is not just a reflection of his fantastic season but recognition of a remarkable journey from non-league to the international stage." Vardy, who won 36 percent of the vote, is the first Englishman to win the award since Scott Parker in 2011 and the first Leicester player to win it since it was started in 1948. In winning the award, he beat teammates Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante, who finished second and third, while Danny Drinkwater, Kasper Schmeichel, Wes Morgan and Danny Simpson were the other Leicester players who received votes. "It is testament to their all-round excellence that so many Leicester players polled votes from our members," Dunn added. Leicester, which leads the division by eight points ahead of second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, needs two points from its last two games to lift the title and could be crowned champion if Spurs fails to beat Chelsea Monday night. Vardy, who was suspended for Leicester's last two games, will return to the side for its home match against Everton next Saturday. Ronaldo steps up training Cristiano Ronaldo's chances of facing Manchester City in the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League semifinal Wednesday were boosted as the Portuguese took a full part in training Monday. Ronaldo has missed Real's last three games due to a thigh injury, but is expected to return against City with the tie finely balanced at 0-0. French striker Karim Benzema also stepped up his recovery from a hamstring strain picked up in the first leg in the hope of being fit to face the English side. "Ronaldo and (Alvaro) Arbeloa completed the session with the group while Benzema was out running alone on the pitch," Madrid said in a statement Monday. Ronaldo has been in blistering form in the Champions League this season, scoring 16 goals in 10 appearances, including a hat trick in the second leg of their quarterfinal with Wolfsburg to overcome a 2-0 first-leg deficit. However, he expects another tight match against City if Madrid is to make it to their 14th European Cup final. "If Manchester City have made it to the semifinals, it's because they're an excellent team," Ronaldo told Madrid's website. "Knocking out PSG is not an easy task, but they managed to do it. They are a team with very few weaknesses." — Agencies
