Jamie Vardy to leave Leicester City at end of the season after 13 years

Jamie Vardy will leave Leicester City at the end of the season with memories to “last a lifetime” after 13 years with the club, but has insisted he is not retiring. The 38-year-old, regarded as the club’s greatest-ever player, was central to winning the Premier League against all odds in 2016 and the FA Cup in 2021.

Vardy signed a 12-month extension last summer after promotion as champions from the Championship but this campaign has been a struggle. This week he apologised to the supporters after relegation was confirmed with five games to play and described his own season as a “total embarrassment”.

Vardy’s story is one of the most famous in the modern era, the player having joined Leicester from non-league Fleetwood for £1m in 2012 and gone on to cement himself as an England international and one of the best strikers in the Premier League. He has scored 198 goals in 435 appearances for Leicester.

Quick Guide How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts? Show Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.

If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.

In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.

Turn on sport notifications. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.

In 2019-20, aged 33, Vardy became the oldest player to win the Premier League Golden Boot. He scored 18 league goals as the club won promotion last season and has scored seven in this campaign.

He said in farewell message on social media that Leicester “did the impossible” by winning the league and that he had memories to last a lifetime, picking out alongside the trophies a run to the Champions League quarter-finals and an escape from relegation.

“I have been here so long that I truly thought it would never end,” he said. “This has not only been really difficult for me to write but also a really difficult decision to make. Leicester City has been my second home, my extended family, my life for 13 years. The club, the city, the people, means so much to me and my family.”

Allow Instagram content? This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Allow and continue

Vardy said he would not be retiring and is thought to have interest from Major League Soccer in the US. “I want to keep playing and doing what I enjoy doing most, scoring goals. Hopefully there is one or two more for Leicester between now and the end of the season, and many more in the future. I might be 38 but I’ve still got the desire and ambition to achieve so much more.”

He reserved praise for the “band of brothers” from their title-winning season and for his first manager, Nigel Pearson, for enabling him to turn professional, and acknowledged his own character. “Thanks also to all the other managers, coaches and staff who have helped me and, in some cases, put up with me.”

Leicester, who visit Wolves on Saturday, are 19th in the Premier League after taking 18 points from 33 matches. They have lost 16 of their past 18 matches under Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is unlikely to lead the club next season.

Leicester’s chair, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, said: “Jamie is unique. He is a special player and an even more special person. He holds a place in the hearts of everyone connected to Leicester City, and he certainly has my deepest respect and affection. I am endlessly grateful for everything he has given to this football club.”

Click here to read article