Leicester captain Jamie Vardy will leave the former Premier League champions at the end of the season, the relegated club announced on Thursday. The Talismanic striker, a key member of the team who lifted the title of the English league against the chances in 2016, was described by the club as “our biggest player”. Former England International, 38, joined the Foxes in 2012 from Fleetwood Town Non League for 1 million pounds (1.3 million dollars) and scored 198 goals in nearly 500 appearances.
He is the record scorer of the Premier League with 143 goals.
Vardy scored 24 times during the 2015/16 Premier League campaign, helping the Foxes at their first high -flying title in one of the biggest shocks in football history.
The striker Pacy was also part of the winning team of Leicester in 2021 FA, who beat Chelsea 1-0 in Wembley.
“We can confirm that legendary striker Jamie Vardy will leave Leicester City this summer after 13 seasons who saw him become our greatest player,” the club said in a statement.
“Jamie is unique,” said President Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.
“He is a special player and an even more special person.
“He organizes a place in the hearts of all those linked to Leicester City, and he certainly has my deepest respect and affection. I am infinitely grateful for everything he has given to this football club.”
‘Devastated’
Vardy said he was “devastated” to leave the foxes but that the time had come.
“At Leicester fans, I am emptied that this day is coming, but I knew it was going to eventually happen,” he said in a video published by Leicester on social networks.
“I spent 13 incredible years in this club, with great success and a few stockings, but the majority were all high.”
Vardy is the last remaining player in the success of the Leicester title in 2016 still at King Power Stadium.
Leicester was relegated in 2023, but the attacker stayed with the club and helped them to an immediate return to the Premier League.
But they return directly to the championship after a miserable season.
Vardy, who scored seven goals in 31 championship matches this season, gave a scathing assessment of the Leicester campaign after confirmation of relegation on Sunday after a 1-0 defeat against Liverpool.
“This season has only been miserable and for me personally, total embarrassment,” he said in an article on social networks. “It hurts”.
The Ruud Van Nistelrooy team is 19th in the table, after having collected 18 points on their 33 games.
The club has managed five games this season and confirmed the last Vardy match at King Power Stadium would be on May 18 against Ipswich, which is almost sure to be relegated.
(This story has not been published by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a unionized flow.)
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