Sunday 29 November 2015 08:16, UK
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri thinks Jamie Vardy's record-breaking goal against Manchester United is good for football.
In the Saturday Night Football clash at the King Power Stadium, Vardy scored for an 11th successive Premier League game to break former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's record, which was set across two seasons in 2003.
And Ranieri, who labelled the England international's feat "an incredible achievement", believes Vardy's meteoric rise from non-league football to leading the line for club and country is a brilliant tale.
"I am very happy as before the match, I told my players we have two objectives today: win and try to help Vardy score and achieve the record," said Ranieri after the 1-1 draw. "We take one point, which is good for the table, and Jamie makes the record, which is fantastic for us and so a very good evening.
"It is an incredible achievement and also it is fantastic for football and the footballer, as five years ago Jamie was playing non-league and it is difficult to grow up so quickly.
"And he is a fantastic man, he is not only our goalscorer, but he is very, very good as he presses and works hard - like his other team-mates of course - but it is important when you have two, three, four strikers who attack the ball, who press, it is very, very important."
Regarding the game itself, Ranieri felt his players did well to earn a point against a team of United's quality, with Bastian Schweinsteiger cancelling out Vardy's strike just before the break.
"It was an amazing match," he said. "It was very difficult for us because United are a very god team. They keep possession of the ball very, very well.
"But I think we made a very good tactical match, very concentrated as from the first mistake they can easily score a goal. We concede a goal at the end of the first half, it was not so good. But that is football.
"We know very well that many opponents try to come and score a goal, but we are very fast on the counter-attack, so it is a good thing for us when a lot of teams try to come and score a goal, because we are very clever to go and counter-attack very quickly."
However, Ranieri refused to comment on the recent criticism surrounding United manager Louis van Gaal and his tactics.
"It is a different manager, different champions, everything is different," said the Italian. "I am different! But I think that Van Gaal is doing a very good job because last season he knew the players and now at the start he is very close to the top of the league. And I think he will fight to the very end."
As for the Foxes, Ranieri insisted he and his players' first objective this season was still to reach the 40-point mark and so avoid relegation, with Leicester having collected 29 points from their opening 14 games to sit joint-top of the table.
"Our goal is 40 points, be safe, it is very important for us, for the club, for everybody," he added. "And I want to see when we achieve 40 points, then we speak together!"
