England coach Roy Hodgson admits he rejected Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy as a club manager.

Vardy has set the Premier League alight this season after plundering 15 goals to fire Leicester to the top of the table.

Hodgson said: "I must say I can't take full credit there (for his success) because I went to watch him when I was at West Brom when he was playing for Fleetwood.

"We didn't sign him so I missed a big opportunity there five or six years ago.

"He wasn't in the (Foxes) team I don't think right from the very start. But once he broke into the team - and we watch everybody carefully of course - there aren't that many English players to watch, so there's no-one we don't have an idea about.

"But once he broke into the team we liked what we saw, not least of all his enormous energy, enthusiasm, work rate and desire."