REUTERS – Premier League defenders hate playing against Jamie Vardy because the Leicester City forward’s relentless pressing makes him a real “pest”, club team mate Jeffrey Schlupp has said.

Vardy’s stunning start to the season sees him leading the league’s goalscoring charts with seven strikes in eight games and the shift he puts in during matches has been key to Leicester’s sustained stint in the top half of the table.

The Foxes currently sit in fifth place, below Crystal Palace on goal difference, and have suffered just one defeat in their eight games so far.

Vardy’s hot streak has earned him an England call-up and midfielder Schlupp says the striker’s defend-from-the-front approach is a source of inspiration for his team mates.

“I don’t think there are many defenders out there that would like to play against him. The way he closes down defenders, he’s like a pest,” the Ghana international told the club’s website (www.lcfc.com).

“It really sets the tone for everyone else as well because we want to help him out. He gives his all for the team and we all want to do it behind him as well.

“When he plays well and is scoring for us, we’re a real force. Hopefully he can keep scoring and we can keep firing up that table,” he added.

Vardy made his international debut against Ireland in June and has been included in manager Roy Hodgson’s squad for the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania.

Schlupp says the striker’s exploits this campaign prove he deserves to play for his country.

“You see what he does week in, week out for the team and it’s finally showing with his goal scoring record and his England call ups that he’s getting and deserves.”

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)