English Premier League outfit Leicester City have announced that ex-England international Jamie Vardy will leave at the end of the season, after 13 years at the club.
In a statement released on social media, the Foxes described the 38-year old as their greatest-ever player, days after he apologized to the club’s supporters for an embarrassing season, as they suffered relegation back to the championship just one season after winning it.
The club chairman 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.
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.”
Vardy has spent 13 years at the club and will leave the club as a legendary figure, scoring 198 times in 495 appearances, playing a key role in the Foxes shock title triumph in 2016.
The ex-England striker who won the English golden boot in the 2019/20 season along with the FA cup, Community Shield and two EFL Championship titles, however stated that he is not calling time on his career yet.
“I’ve been here so long that I truly never thought it would end, so this has not only been really difficult for me to write but also a really difficult decision to make,” Vardy said in a video published on his social media.
“Leicester City has been my second home and my extended family and my life for 13 years. The club, the city, the people mean so much to me and my family. It’s a place that has shaped the lives of our kids who have been so lucky to call Leicester home for so long. But for me the time has come to say goodbye.”
The 38-year old has eight goals in all competitions this season, with seven in the league and one more in the FA Cup Vardy and bows out as a club and league legend.
“My only regret, and I’m devastated about this, is that I’m not saying farewell to you [the fans] on the back of a much better season,” Vardy added. “This isn’t the way I wanted my career here to finish.
This isn’t retirement. I want to keep playing and doing my enjoy most: Scoring goals. Hopefully there are a few more for Leicester between now and the end of the season and many more in the future. I might be 38 but I still have the desire and ambition to achieve so much more”, he added.
Vardy will feature in front of the Leicester faithful for the last time against Ipswich Town on the 18th of May, in their penultimate match of the campaign.
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