Roy Hodgson backs Jamie Vardy after Draw with West Ham

England boss Roy Hodgson says that Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy did not deserve to be sent off from the 2-2 draw with West Ham.

Vardy has been one of the sensational stories of the 2015-16 Premier League campaign. He has gone from being a nonleague player into a potential forward for the England national team at the Euro 2016 in the space of five years. He has been a major factor in Leicester City being very close to a league title. However, his suspension for the final few matches of the season could prove devastating for the underdogs.

They are involved in a title race with Tottenham, who are five points behind after the latest round of results. After having been heavily dependent on the goals from Vardy throughout the campaign, Leicester City will have to go into difficult games – like the match against Manchester United – with the star striker in the line-up.Hodgson claimed that he sympathised with the striker, who faces an additional ban for his reactions in the aftermath of the incident. The referee felt that Vardy had simulated a fall in order to receive penalty. Hodgson said that Vardy fell because he was unbalanced and not because he wanted to get an advantage.

“I sympathise with him. I think he was very, very unlucky and I will go out on a limb – I don’t see that as a dive. I think he was unbalanced and that was it. I don’t think it was a penalty either. I just think he was unbalanced, running at that speed and there was a very slight contact with the defender who was trying to cover. Players are players. You take everything that the player brings with him. But you take what the player brings,” said Hodgson ahead of the English FA ruling ahead Vardy.