Albion have been warned to watch a vastly improved striker – by the manager who wrecked their unbeaten run.

Jamie Vardy’s two goals against Millwall last Saturday helped Leicester City go top of the Championship with a 3-0 win.

They remain at the summit despite their shock 2-1 reverse at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday.

And Vardy remains a big threat according to the man who sold him to the Foxes when he would have loved to have kept hold of him.

Barnsley caretaker boss Micky Mellon kept hold of Vardy as long as he could when they were working together in the Conference with Fleetwood two seasons ago.

Vardy cost Leicester £1million in the summer of 2012 and struggled to score goals last season.

But he has doubled his tally for the club with five already this term.

He will be looking to repeat the feat of his old boss, who guided the Tykes to a 2-1 success on Tuesday, at The Amex today.

Mellon told The Argus: “He is probably one of the most talented strikers in the division in everything he does and in his desire to do well.

“He is a great lad, a lad I had the pleasure of managing and I am absolutely thrilled to bits about the way he is thriving in the Championship.”

Vardy and top scorer David Nugent have been starting up front, leaving former Albion loanee Chris Wood on the substitutes’ bench.

Mellon has no doubts what qualities Vardy brings.

After all, his club turned down an offer of £700,000 from neighbours Blackpool in January 2012 before allowing him to go when they had completed their climb into the Football League.

Vardy scored 31 goals in 36 games for Fleetwood having fired 29 in 41 to help Halifax win the Northern Premier League the previous season.

Mellon said: “He is lightning quick, he is two-footed, he is brave, he will put a major shift in and he is desperate to get the most out of his talent.

“I couldn’t keep hold of him at Fleetwood because he was too good.

“But no one is prouder than I am to see him getting on in his career.

“I think last season he took a bit of settling in.

“He maybe doubted himself a little bit “Now he has got another pre-season under his belt, he has got a bit of momentum and everybody at Leicester believes in him.”