Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy revealed in his new autobiography that his recovery from a dead leg in 2012 took longer than it should have done due to his taste for Skittles vodka.

In an extract published by The Sun, Vardy wrote of how he would 'sit back and enjoy' the concoction but did not realise that his tipple of choice was actually slowing down his return to full fitness.

The England international, who at the time was still in the embryonic stages of his career with the Foxes, eventually realised the error of ways courtesy of physio Dave Rennie, who was 'a little shocked' by the revelation.

Jamie Vardy's penchant for Skittles vodka had a slightly detrimental effect on his career

Leicester's talisman was struggling with a dead leg during the early stages of his Foxes career

'I had a dead leg — a fairly routine injury, but it was ­taking an age to get better.' wrote Vardy.

'I had a three-litre vodka ­bottle at home I would put loads of Skittles sweets in.

'Once one batch had fully dissolved, I'd top it up with more — only the red or purple sweets because I don't fancy the orange, green and yellow ones. I must have put a different batch in at least 20 times.

Leicester physio Dave Rennie was shocked by Vardy's penchant for the sweet concoction

'After that, you can drink the vodka neat and it tastes just like Skittles. When I was bored at home in the evening I'd pour myself a glass, sit back and enjoy. The vodka was decent but it wasn't doing much for my dead leg, which didn't stop bleeding for ages.'

Leicester had signed Vardy from Fleetwood Town for a fee of £1m in May 2012 and while they eventually qualified for the play-offs during the 2012-13 season, their form took a bit of a nosedive when their head-turning purchase was sidelined with a relatively minor injury.

It was not until the intervention of physio Rennie, who has been part of the Foxes set-up since 1999, that Vardy actually realised the harm Skittles vodka was doing to him.

Vardy will hope victory against Porto will taste sweeter than Skittles vodka ever did

'Dave Rennie, the physio, said he couldn't believe it wasn't improving. He'd seen a torn calf muscle heal quicker,' Vardy continued.

'He pulled me aside one day when nobody else was about. "What are you doing?" Dave asked. "Nothing I wouldn't ­normally do," I replied.

'Then I explained that what I'd normally do was drink Skittle vodka.

'"Well, that will be why, then",' Dave said, looking a little shocked, before going on to explain the science behind it and how the alcohol was damaging the healing process.'