Vinnie Jones in line to play Nigel Pearson in the Jamie Vardy movie
Nigel Pearson with Vinnie Jones
Former football hardman Vinnie Jones is set to be approached to play the part of former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson in the upcoming Jamie Vardy biopic.
The 51-year-old actor and former professional footballer is perhaps most well known for his hard-nosed characters in Guy Ritchie's British gangster films; including 'Snatch' and 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'.
Vinnie Jones is most well known for his role in Guy Ritchie gangster films
Following Jamie Vardy's miraculous rise through the ranks of non-league football to international acclaim, plans to document the life and career of the 29-year-old have been gathering pace, and producers have already formulated a shortlist of candidates to take part in the film.
British film writer and producer Adrian Butchard, who was behind the 'Goal' franchise, is the driving force behind the project.
With One Direction's Louis Tomlinson rumoured to be in line to play the main man himself, the actors targeted to play the other key protagonists in the former Fleetwood Town forward's story have revealed.
Nigel Pearson brought Vardy to Leicester
Nigel Pearson was sacked as manager of Leicester City at the end of last season, but the 52-year-old played a significant part in the former Conference striker's ascent.
Pearson signed Vardy for a record non-league transfer fee of £1 million in 2012, and has been attributed with giving the striker his first break in the Premier League.
Pearson's sacking was proceeded by a series of off the field incidents, including one touchline incident which would not have looked out of place in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
The former Foxes boss was given a warning by the club hierarchy after he appeared to hold Crystal Palace's James McArthur down by the throat.
Nigel Pearson was criticised for this incident with James McArthur
Pearson was eventually sacked in June 2015 after a collapse in his relationship with the club’s Thai owners, with the dismissal of his son James understood to be a pivotal factor.
Since arriving at the King Power stadium Vardy has played an instrumental part in Leicester's rise from Championship play-offs to tio of the Premier League.
Vardy broke Ruud van Nistelrooy's record for the most consecutive games with a goal when he scored his eleventh goal in as many games.
Jamie Vardy has made an immediate impact since making his England debut
The 29-year-old's meteoric rise from non-league football to spear-heading Leicester City's unlikely title challenge has been one of the stories of the season.
Vardy is likely to play a part in England's Euro 2016 squad after making an impressive start to his international career.
"We have to wait until after the European Championships in the summer because we want his story to play out, but we are going all guns blazing to shoot as soon after that as possible, maybe September, October and November time," said Butchard.
"So long as everything goes to plan, we would like to see it released this time next year," he said.
Telegraph
