England forward Jamie Vardy reveals he's stopped using snus after last season's backlash

England's Jamie Vardy has stopped using snus, the smokeless tobacco product, following the negative media coverage of the substance earlier this year.

Snus, pronounced 'snooze', is a moist powdered tobacco product supplied in small pouches. Snus users place the pouches between their lips and gums and suck on up to 27.3 mg of nicotine - almost the equivalent of three regular cigarettes.

The sale of snus has been banned in Europe in 1992 but its use has proliferated among professional footballers in recent years, despite there being no proof it enhances sporting performance.

An investigation by the Daily Mail in February found snus pouches in the home dugout of Leicester City, Vardy's club side, and the England international was pictured holding a tin of snus pouches while on duty at the 2016 European Championships.

Vardy first admitted to using snus in his 2016 autobiography, From Nowhere: My Story, in which he claimed that it helped him to "chill out".

The 31-year-old has also been known to drink Red Bull and port as part of his pre-match ritual, while his penchant for vodka brewed in Skittles was once blamed for prolonging a spell out injured while at Fleetwood Town.

Red Bull remains very much part of Vardy's diet, as does the Skittles vodka on special occasions. However, when asked about his use of snus at an England media day on Tuesday, Vardy revealed that he had given up the substance.

"I had to kick it because you lot made a big deal about it so I don't think I'll be getting pictured with them again," he said.

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Asked when he had decided to stop using snus, the Leicester striker added: "Literally when it started to be plastered all over the papers. They made a big thing of it, don't know why. There's nothing wrong with them.

"I decided myself. I thought I don't need the hassle and we're here to concentrate on England. Even if you don't look at the papers, someone's going to mention it when your picture's in the paper. You end up finding out so what's the point? Leave yourself to concentrate on football."

Vardy has previously taken pride in the unorthodox methods that are part of his remarkable rise from non-league football to England's World Cup squad for Russia, but he is not concerned that adverse press attention has led him to change his ways.

"It didn't affect me that much last season so we'll leave it at that," he said.

England's squad will be one of the youngest at the tournament, with an average age of just 26. At 31, Vardy is one of the elders of the group but he believes his late start in elite-level football works to his advantage.

The 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo recently claimed to feel only 23. "I'll say that as well, that's fine," Vardy joked. "I'll say 21.

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"I'm hoping that because I came into the game a lot later I can go on for a lot longer. I don't feel my age. After a game, it doesn't take me days and days to recover.

"After a day's recovery I'm back at it again so hopefully, because I did come into the game later, that means that my legs will take me a lot further."

Vardy is expected to start in England's final World Cup warm-up game against Costa Rica at Elland Road on Thursday, though Harry Kane, the England captain, remains Gareth Southgate's first choice up front.

Vardy understands he is likely to play second fiddle in Russia, but he is prepared to make as big a contribution as possible when coming off the bench.

"If you're coming off the bench you need to know that you are going to make an impact and you've been put on for a reason," he said.

"Whether that's to change a game from a losing position or going on to harass defenders to keep hold of a lead, you've got to realise you've got a job to do, you need to make that impact and follow the team plan in place."