Leicester City’s talismanic striker Jamie Vardy is set to leave at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season, the club have confirmed, calling time on a 13-year stint at the King Power Stadium.
Vardy joined the Foxes from Fleetwood Town in 2012 on an initial three-year contract. He went on to make 338 Premier League appearances for them, bagging 143 goals and 48 assists in the English top flight. He also played a major role in guiding them to the Premier League trophy during the 2025/26 season the 2020/21 FA Cup trophy among other honours.
Leicester City’s relegation to the EFL Championship was confirmed after their recent defeat to Liverpool. Earlier, Vardy had also posted an apology to the fans on social media for the team’s dismal performances this season.
Speaking on his time at Leicester, the 38-year-old said:
“I’ve had 13 unbelievable years at this club with lots of success, some downs but a majority, all highs, but it’s finally time to call it a day, which I’m devastated about but I think the timing is right.
“I just want to sincerely thank you all for taking me in as one of your own. Leicester will always, always have a massive place in my heart and I’ll make sure that I will be following for the years to come and what I hope will be even more successful for the club. But as for now, this is my goodbye but you will see me again soon, I promise. Thank you.“
Speaking on Vardy’s departure, Leicester City FC Chairman 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. Although Jamie’s time with us as a player is ending, he and his family will always be welcomed back to King Power Stadium with open arms after all he has achieved. On behalf of everyone at Leicester City, I wish Jamie and his family the very best for the future and I know our supporters will join us in giving him the send-off he deserves at the end of this season.”
Jamie Vardy’s story has been nothing short of a Hollywood blockbuster. The enigmatic striker joined Leicester from Fleetwood Town—a non-League club at the time—in 2012 for a fee of £1 million, which was a non-League record at the time.
Though Vardy had a tough start at Leicester City, the club’s management kept faith in him—and he repaid that trust in style. In the following season, Vardy played a key role in Leicester’s promotion to the Premier League, scoring an impressive 16 league goals. His debut season in the top flight was steady as the Foxes secured their survival with a 14th-place finish.
What followed in the 2015/16 campaign was nothing short of a fairy tale. While the traditional giants stumbled, Vardy led a fearless Leicester side to a historic Premier League title. He scored 24 goals that season, finishing just one behind Golden Boot winner Harry Kane, and was deservedly named Premier League Player of the Season. He also went on to win the FA Cup with the Foxes at the end of the 2020/21 season.
Coming back to the current situation, with Vardy announcing his departure, the question that needs to be asked is whether the timing was right—and the answer is yes.
For both the player and the club, it’s time to look ahead. As clinical and consistent Vardy has been for Leicester, it has been evident this season that age is catching up to him. With the team struggling overall, he has managed only seven goals and three assists in 31 games this term—for a team aiming to at least secure Premier League survival, this is not enough.
As Leicester prepare for life in the Championship, it’s better for them to invest in a young, dynamic forward—someone who can grow with the team and gradually find his footing without the intense scrutiny and pressure that comes with the Premier League. As for Vardy, the time has come for him to seek a new challenge—one that doesn’t burden him with the team’s attacking output alone. His experience and leadership are invaluable, but over-relying on him is longer be sustainable.
Vardy’s story is one of the rare, magical ones in the cutthroat world of football—a player who chose loyalty over glamour and still managed to carve out a legacy of undeniable success. In an era where transfers, trophies, and paychecks dominate headlines, his journey is a reminder that belief, perseverance, and staying true to one’s roots can still triumph.
From non-League football to Premier League glory, Vardy’s story has been as meteoric as it has been inspirational. Through setbacks and countless doubters, he has embodied the kind of tenacity that defines great character. And when bigger clubs came calling, he chose to stick with the team that believed in him when no one else would.
There’s a lot that young and up-and-coming players can learn from Vardy—how to deal with adversity, navigate the highs and lows of a turbulent career, and, most importantly, how to remain grounded. In a world that often demands compromise, Vardy has shown us that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of integrity.
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