Jamie Vardy was offered a lot of money to join Arsenal who thought they had £20m deal done – but his heart and his head told him to stay at Leicester and he’s never looked back

The heart and the head often want different things, and we have to compromise between the two when we make life-changing decisions.

Jamie Vardy, when he looked set to sign for Arsenal in 2016, saw the two align, allowing him to make one of the hardest choices in his career - and he hasn't looked back since.

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As he gets ready to face the Gunners for the 14th time for Leicester City, his decision must give fans the sweats given his incredible record against them.

In 13 games he's hit 11 goals and recorded one assist, while the Foxes have gone on to become regular top four contenders as Arsenal have slipped down the Premier League table in recent years.

However as the two sides prepare to face each other on Saturday at 12:30pm – live on talkSPORT – Brendan Rodgers' team are only ahead on goal difference, largely thanks to Vardy's seven strikes this term.

But why couldn't Arsenal get the deal over the line?

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Almost five years ago, the Leicester hero opted to stay at the King Power Stadium, surprising many across the football landscape.

At 29, Vardy was a Premier League winner, the FWA Footballer of the Year, and the Barclays Premier League Player of the Season, but it had been a long road to that point.

From being released by Sheffield Wednesday at 16, playing at Stockbridge Park Steels, to his rise through the ranks with Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town, it was never easy for him.

Even with Leicester he had to help them climb the ladder from League One to the Premier League before that astonishing 5,000-1 title win in 2016.

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Surely signing for Arsenal, one of the biggest clubs in the land, entering the final years of a career was an easy decision? Not for Vardy.

He'd signed a contract extension at Leicester in February 2016 to reward his stunning form but a release clause in the region of £20million had been entered into the deal.

On June 3, the Gunners triggered it and the forward visited the club with his wife to discuss the finer details on a possible move.

A contract for Vardy had even been agreed, while Leicester, in a desperate attempt to keep him, put up a counter offer to the striker.

“He came down to visit with his wife Rebekah, he sat on the couch in front of Arsene [Wenger]… and then he backed off.

“On his way back to Leicester I get a call from the player saying he wants to think about it overnight. At that point, you know it's bad news.”

The lure of signing for a side who were, at the time, Champions League regulars must have been tempting but the camaraderie of the Foxes during their title tilt was something special.

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Speaking to BT Sport the next season, he revealed that despite the tempting offer and chat with Wenger, there was only one thing to do - and it really was easy.

"Every time I thought about it, my heart and head were coming to the same answer, which was to stay," he said.

"That was exactly what I wanted to do so it's exactly what I did.

"I had a lot of time while I was sat in a hotel doing nothing, so it was easy to think about it then and easy to put the pen to paper."

There were also reports that Vardy, who looks at his brilliant best running off the shoulder of a defender in counter attacking scenarios, wasn't convinced he would fit into Arsenal's possession heavy approach.

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Wenger disagreed, insisting Vardy had all the hallmarks a great striker needs to perform in a different set-up.

“We had more of the ball, yes, but still around the box, the timings of his runs, he finds the space," he told beIN SPORTS,

“When you see the big strikers, they’re on the move when others stand still in the box, and he has that.

“You see they read (the game) earlier than others, they anticipate better, they understand quicker than other people what’s going on, and (he has) that quality of anticipation, that speed of understanding.”

Asked how close he came to signing Vardy, Wenger added: “I offered him a lot of money at the time.

“Leicester had just won the championship in 2016, and [chairman Vichai] Srivaddhanaprabha at the time, who unfortunately after had the helicopter accident, did absolutely not want to lose him and they offered him a longer contract and approximately the same money, if not more.”

Vardy's decision was refreshing. So many players would have opted to join Arsenal given his humble career to that date.

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It's been totally vindicated too.

Now 34, he's a member of the elite '100 club', having netted 115 Premier League goals in just seven seasons.

He's not slowing down either.

Liverpool’s Mo Salah is leading the way in terms of goals with 10 strikes and five assists to his name already in the Premier League this term.

While the likes of Sadio Mane, Michail Antonio and Bruno Fernandes all have a decent tally, it is the Foxes striker who is challenging Salah most closely with seven goals in nine league appearances.

Vardy has netted less than 15 goals in just one season since moving to Leicester, meaning that he’ll be hopeful of mounting a challenge for the Premier League golden boot again this time around.