MOTHERWELL striker Louis Moult has confessed he is inspired by Leicester’s hot shot striker James Vardy after a brief encounter in the English conference.

The pair both shared a pitch during their stints in non-league football when Alfreton Town and Fleetwood Town back in October 2011.

Playing for Alfreton, Moult watched on in awe as the then unknown Vardy netted a 14-minute hat-trick to help his team on their way to a 4-1 victory.

Despite that brief crossing of paths, it is a day that has made a mark on the man currently banging in the goals at Fir Park while his counterpart smashes Premier League records south of the border.

And speaking ahead of this afternoon’s trip to Partick Thistle, the Motherwell forward revealed how he is striving to emulate the efforts of the England internationalist.

He said: “Vardy was electric. I stayed well away from him because he was far too fast for me,

“He was at Fleetwood at the time and I think we were beaten 2-0 and he scored two.

“He was so quick and so alert. The season before he was in the league below and not long after he played us he got a move to Leicester for £1million.

“I definitely took inspiration from that. I followed his career quite closely if I’m honest and I have watched what he does and how many he has been scoring.

“He has been an inspiration to me because he has taken a similar path, albeit I have come from the Prem and dropped down but will hopefully make my way back up again.

“He is certainly one to look up and it’s a lesson that should never give up.”

This afternoon’s Firhill clash gives Moult the opportunity to take his tally for the season to nine following last weekend’s goal against Hearts.

It came within the first 90 seconds as he knocked the ball out of Neil Alexander’s hands to bundle it into the net, and the former Stoke man is keen to keep his run going.

He said: "I went for the ball. Luckily it dropped for me and I slotted it in.

"I'll always try to put myself about but it wasn't a foul. It was a fair goal.

"The win has boosted the confidence as we'd had two bad results and we needed a result.

"If people had offered us a point before we'd probably have taken it. Hearts are a good side and they have been doing well.

"That has upped the confidence in the camp. We are ready for Saturday and we want to keep the run going now.”