ENGLAND striker Jamie Vardy has Wales in his sights at Euro 2016 on Thursday but just four and a half years ago he was being thrashed by Newport County AFC in the Conference.

Before his £1m move to Leicester City in May 2012, Vardy banged in 31 goals to help Fleetwood Town win promotion to the Football League for the first time.

But in two games against County in that 2011-2012 season he drew a blank.

Vardy missed a sitter at Spytty Park in December 2011, rounding Exiles goalkeeper Danny Potter but somehow failing to convert a golden chance as Fleetwood won 1-0.

And in the reverse fixture at Fleetwood’s Highbury Stadium in October 2011 the future England star was completely overshadowed by Sam Foley.

Gareth Seddon, the model/striker now at Salford City, gave the hosts the lead after just 52 seconds and was later sent off.

But a Danny Rose penalty and a fabulous Foley hat-trick gave County a stunning victory in Justin Edinburgh’s second match in charge.

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“I remember it well because it’s the only time I’ve scored a hat-trick as a professional and it was also the night my best mate’s daughter was born,” recalled Foley.

“But I don’t remember Jamie Vardy! It was only when I was chatting to Scotty Rogers the other day that he reminded me that we’d played against him.

“I think he played on the right in that game and he didn’t really have a big impact.

“I do remember Gareth Seddon scoring almost straight away and he also got sent off later for a bit of a striker’s tackle on Andrew Hughes.

“I played just off Craig McAllister and it went well and I also remember that Tommy Doherty had a fantastic game in midfield that night.”

Foley helped County beat the drop that season and reach the FA Trophy final before moving on to successful spells at Yeovil Town and Port Vale in League One.

Vardy lifted the Conference title with Fleetwood and last season scored 24 goals as Leicester shocked the football world to win the Premier League.

And, after watching from the bench as England were held by Russia on Saturday, he will be desperate to feature for the Three Lions against Wales in Lens.

“What he’s done since 2011 has been amazing,” said Foley.

“There are plenty of players in a similar mould to Vardy – players who have that ability.

“He’s very direct and positive and he just does what he did when he was a kid but he’s proved he can do it at the very highest level.

“He’s the same sort of player that he was then but he’s had to work so hard and that has given him that drive and hunger to succeed.

“A lot of the kids in academies don’t have that because they’ve been wrapped in cotton wool.

“I tell the kids at Port Vale to go and try things on the pitch because the worst thing is to come off the pitch thinking ‘what if I’d done this or that?’ – you don’t want any what ifs.”

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