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When Jamie Vardy leaves at the end of the season and is referred to as Leicester City’s “greatest ever player,” he will leave a legacy behind a team he has worked for 13 years.
In his 26 England appearances, he scored 198 goals for the Foxes and seven more as he helped them win the Premier League title in astonishing fashion six years later.
Vardy made the incredible transition from Stocksbridge Park Steels to become a legend at Leicester. He was a livewire, passion-filled, and antagonistic striker.
In the last ten years, only Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah have scored more goals than Vardy, who was born in Sheffield.
The 38-year-old’s imminent departure from King Power Stadium is a perfect illustration of how the club is currently at a crossroads due to their relegation.
Their hero, a force of nature at his best, developed with the club, becoming their story’s enduring hero, best known for defying all odds, with the 2016 title triumph.
He is perceived as a superstar, but he is just ordinary, according to some people.
Former Leicester player Marc Albrighton, who was a former teammate, told BBC Sport, “He is obviously the greatest ever player.”
“Leod fans and the club will never forget everything he’s accomplished individually and collectively with the team.” Due to the fact that everyone has grown up watching him, it will be difficult for everyone. It will take some practice to get used to not having him around the club.
Since making his £1 million move from Fleetwood in 2012, Vardy has scored 198 goals in 496 games for the Foxes, demonstrating the caliber that made him eligible for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.
Even before his famous and miraculous title win, he helped Leicester achieve their “Great Escape” in the 2014-15 campaign, winning seven of their final nine games without falling to the ground under Nigel Pearson.
Vardy scored 23 goals in the Champions League and Europa League, making him the 33-year-old with the oldest to receive the award in the process. He also won the Premier League’s Golden Boot in 2019-20.
When he scored in his 11th consecutive Premier League game against Manchester United in 2015, he also broke current Foxes boss Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in consecutive matches.
Vardy was Leicester’s main force in times of need and the one they leaned on to be trusted.
He led Leicester to its highest scorer with eight goals in the first half of the season after being relegated in 2023. Last year, they won the Championship 20 times.
When they last scored at home against Brighton on December 8th, it should come as no surprise that he was on target. Since then, they have failed to do so in nine successive matches at the King Power, which has left them 18 points adrift of safety and set an unfavorable top-flight record.
After moving to Leicester from Aston Villa on a free transfer in 2014, Winger Albrighton and Vardy shared a close relationship both on and off the field.
Vardy is perceived as a wind-up merchant who enjoys receiving abuse and making numerous gestures, especially from opposition supporters.
Players have a preconceived notion of him, and he is a key figure in the dressing room as well.
But that changes once they first meet Albrighton, who added, “He’s a very unique character, very unique.” Nobody in the dressing room who resembled him in any way entered the room. He and I had a wonderful relationship, and we have always been friends.
“It’s amazing how he interacts with everyone in the dressing room. New customers would be drawn in by his personality and quickly discover the true nature of his personality.
He describes himself as being “very, very humble,” just normal. He is perceived as a superstar, but he is just normal, according to some.
Leicester’s situation has changed significantly.
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Vardy’s departure will usher in a new era because he is the club’s last player still in charge. He is also the club’s last remaining member.
After being relegated, Van Nistelrooy’s future is uncertain, with 17 defeats in 22 games recorded during his five-game reign.
Only two players are out of contract this summer, leaving only Vardy and Danny Ward, who will need to work to move others.
The forward’s reported £140, 000 per week wage would have dropped to around £100, 000 per week in the Championship, freeing up much-needed money.
Fans are requesting the dismissal of Jon Rudkin, the director of football, as well as other changes off the pitch.
However, the club’s future is uncertain and the EFL may impose sanctions on them if they violate the club’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) during the three years leading up to the 2022-23 campaign.
Leicester was successful in arguing that they were not a top-flight club at the time of the incident, but the EFL could change once they are officially a Championship club and transfer their Premier League shares to a promoted team.
Where will Vardy go next, Wrexham or the MLS?
Vardy, who turns 39 in January, wants to play as a player, and there will be plenty of players both domestically and abroad.
He asserted, “This is not retirement.” I want to keep playing and accomplishing my main passion, which is goal-scoring. Hopefully there will be at least one more for Leicester between now and the end of the season, and many more will follow.
“I’m 38, but I still have the drive and ambition to succeed in so many things.”
He will need to take a significant cut because his wages are likely to be prohibitive for any Championship club, even those with the deepest pockets.
Prior to the announcement, Wrexham had been mentioned as a potential destination, and Vardy’s personal development, from the National League to within two victories of a Championship spot, parallels their rise.
He will undoubtedly be interested in Major League Soccer, having previously enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Charlotte FC’s Dean Smith while he was in charge of the Foxes two years ago.
Vardy and Smith’s attempt to sign him last summer may have reignited that interest.
As one of Smith’s assistants, Christian Fuchs, Vardy’s former teammate and fellow title winner, and Charlotte, top of the Eastern Conference.
In August, Smith stated, “I did text him to see if he wanted to come over to America, but I knew it would be difficult once he brought Leicester back to the Premier League.”
Saudi Arabia might show interest, but Vardy and wife Rebekah, who have five children, will be a factor in any future travel arrangements.
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