Jamie Vardy, widely regarded as Leicester City’s most iconic player, will officially depart the club at the end of the current season. The announcement was made on Thursday by the relegated side, who praised the striker as their “greatest-ever player”.
Vardy, now 38, has confirmed he intends to continue playing football despite closing the chapter on his remarkable 13-year journey with the Foxes.
The former England striker first joined Leicester in 2012, making the move from Fleetwood Town, then a non-league team, in a deal worth just £1 million ($1.3 million). Since then, he has scored an impressive 198 goals in close to 500 appearances.
During his time at the club, Vardy became Leicester’s record scorer in the Premier League, netting 143 goals.
His 24 goals in the 2015/16 season were instrumental in helping Leicester pull off one of the biggest shocks in football history, as they won the Premier League title against all odds.
He was also a central figure in the team that lifted the FA Cup in 2021, with Leicester beating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium.
“We can confirm legendary striker Jamie Vardy will leave Leicester City this summer after 13 seasons that have seen him become our greatest-ever player,” the club said in a statement.
“Jamie is unique,” said chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha. “He is a special player and an even more special person.”
‘Devastated’
Vardy said he was “devastated” to be leaving the Foxes but the timing was right.
“To the fans of Leicester, I’m gutted that this day is coming, but I knew it was going to come eventually,” he said in a video message to fans.
“I’ve spent 13 unbelievable years at this club, with lots of success, and some downs, but the majority have all been highs.”
Vardy, who has scored seven goals in 31 league appearances this season, gave a scathing assessment of Leicester’s campaign after relegation was confirmed on Sunday following a 1-0 defeat by Liverpool.
“This season has been nothing but miserable and for me personally, a total embarrassment”, he said in a social media post. “It hurts.”
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side are 19th in the table, having collected just 18 points from their 33 matches and are heading back to the Championship after just one season back in the top division.
Vardy, the last remaining player from Leicester’s 2016 title success still at the King Power Stadium, enjoyed a fairytale rise from the fifth tier of English football to the very top.
He played his part in the club’s astonishing escape in the 2014/15 season, when they won seven of their last nine games to escape relegation.
The following season his goals were a major factor in the club’s 5,000-1 title charge under Claudio Ranieri — he scored in a record 11 consecutive Premier League fixtures.
His time at the King Power was also marked by tragedy when five people, including chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, were killed in a helicopter crash just outside the stadium in October 2018.
“Nine years ago, we did the impossible, we won the Premier League,” Vardy said in a video on his social media channels. “We then went on to win the FA Cup — that was for you, Vichai.
“We reached the Champions League quarter-finals. Before that, we pulled off the great escape.”
He added: “My one regret — and I’m devastated about this — is that I’m not saying farewell to you on the back of a much better season. This isn’t the way I wanted my career here to finish.
“Finally, this isn’t retirement. I want to keep playing and doing what I enjoy most, scoring goals.
Leicester, who play Wolves on Saturday, have five games left this season.
Van Nistelrooy said at his pre-match press conference on Thursday that he had had a “special conversation” with Leicester’s outgoing star.
“He came to my office and told me what he had decided,” said the Dutchman. “After that, we spoke for 45 minutes on many things. It was a great conversation, from person to person, from a former striker to a striker and a manager to player.
“It was impressive like his career. His love for the football club comes through in every word he says.”
What you should know:
Jamie Vardy went from playing non-league football to winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals with Leicester City.
He’s the club’s all-time top Premier League scorer and the last member of the historic 2016 title-winning squad still playing at the King Power Stadium.
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