Jamie Vardy Confirms Departure from Leicester City After 13 Years With The Club
Jamie Vardy has announced that he will leave Leicester City at the end of the season, marking the conclusion of an illustrious 13-year tenure at the club. The 38-year-old striker joined Leicester from Fleetwood Town in 2012 for a non-league record fee of £1 million and has since established himself as a club legend.
During his time with the Foxes, Vardy scored an impressive 198 goals in 496 appearances across all competitions. He played a crucial role in Leicester’s promotion from the Championship in 2014 and was instrumental in their historic Premier League title win in the 2015-16 season, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 24 goals.
In a heartfelt message shared via Leicester’s social media channels, Vardy expressed his mixed emotions about leaving the club. “To the fans of Leicester, I’m gutted that this day is coming, but I knew it was going to come eventually,” he said. “I’ve spent 13 unbelievable years at this club, with lots of success, and some downs, but the majority have all been highs. It’s finally time to call it a day, which I’m devastated about, but I think the timing is right.”
Vardy’s departure comes after a challenging season for Leicester, who confirmed their relegation back to the Championship last week. Despite scoring 20 goals in all competitions last season, Vardy could not help the team avoid a swift return to the second tier of English football.
As Leicester’s third-highest goalscorer, Vardy trails only Arthur Chandler and Arthur Rowley. He holds the record for the most Premier League goals scored for the club, with 143, and is the record appearance-maker in the competition with 338 matches played. Notably, he has been a late bloomer, with 109 of his Premier League goals coming after his 30th birthday—a record for players over that age.
Vardy’s final home games at the King Power Stadium will be against relegated teams Southampton and Ipswich Town, as he prepares to close this chapter of his remarkable career.
