The curtain is about to fall on one of English football’s most remarkable stories, as Leicester City confirm club legend Jamie Vardy will leave at the end of the season after 13 unforgettable years at the King Power Stadium.
Vardy’s rise from Fleetwood Town to Premier League champion has become the stuff of legend. Signed for just £1 million in 2012, the 38-year-old leaves with 198 goals in 496 appearances and a permanent place in Leicester folklore. His 143 Premier League goals put him 15th on the all-time scoring list.
He was the face of Leicester’s improbable 2015-16 title triumph, scoring 24 goals and setting a then-record with goals in 11 consecutive matches. He followed that feat with a Golden Boot in 2019-20 and consistently hit double figures in six straight top-flight campaigns.
Club chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha hailed him as “a special player and an even more special person,” calling Vardy’s legacy one that would be “forever cherished at Leicester City.” And rightly so. From the Championship to Champions League nights, FA Cup glory and unforgettable title parades, Vardy has seen it all.
Even in a season clouded by Leicester’s second relegation in three years, he’s been the club’s top scorer, with eight goals in 32 appearances. But the reliance on a 38-year-old to carry the attack only underlined deeper issues at the club.
Vardy’s journey also stretched to the international stage, earning 26 England caps and scoring seven goals, featuring at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup before stepping away after Russia.
He’s now just four games away from joining an elite trio of Leicester players to reach 500 appearances, and two goals shy of 200. Fittingly, his final home appearance will come against Ipswich on May 18, a day sure to be drenched in emotion.
