Former Leicester City and England striker Jamie Vardy has claimed that Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi used a traditional ointment they referred to as “juju cream” to recover from physical setbacks during their time with the Foxes.
Vardy made these disclosures during a recent episode of his podcast, Jamie Vardy’s Having a Party.
The 39-year-old forward played alongside both Nigerian internationals at the King Power Stadium from 2017 to 2024, a successful period during which the team secured both the FA Cup and the Community Shield.
Sharing some lighthearted, behind-the-scenes memories from his time with the Super Eagles duo, Vardy described how the players would briefly travel back to Nigeria after picking up minor fitness issues and return with a specific traditional remedy that they insisted the team’s medical staff use.
According to Vardy, when teammates questioned the origins of the substance, the pair jokingly attributed it to a spiritual healer.
“They used to get injured. Little knocks, then go back to Nigeria for just one day. They come back with a nice big tub of juju cream,” Vardy said.
He added: “That was the only thing that the messeuse was allowed to apply to the injured area. They used to tell us that it had come from aNigerian witch doctor.”
Ndidi currently plies his trade in Turkey with Süper Lig giants Besiktas, while Iheanacho has moved to Scotland, where he recently celebrated winning both the league and Cup titles with Celtic.