"Not a superstar, just 'Jamie Vardy.'"
"He is at the end of a fairy tale-like football career. And Leicester City marks the end of an era with the farewell of one person."
Leicester City will part ways with Vardy after this season. The striker, who has been the symbol of this club for the past 13 years, Jamie Vardy (38). The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on the 25th (Korean time) that "the player remembered as the greatest in the history of Leicester City is soon to leave the King Power Stadium."
Vardy's career is unprecedented. In 2010, while playing for the eighth-tier Stocksbridge Park Steels, he transferred to Leicester in 2012 for a fee of £1 million (about 1.9 billion won) after a stint at Fleetwood Town. Over the next 13 seasons, he scored 198 goals in 496 matches, becoming a legend who lived and breathed at a single club.
Six years later, in 2016, Vardy made the miracle of '1 in 5000' a reality. With goals in 11 consecutive matches, he broke the Premier League record for consecutive matches scored, previously held by Ruud van Nistelrooy, and led his team to the Premier League championship that season, becoming the protagonist of one of the most dramatic title stories in football history. He also participated in Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, recording 7 goals in 26 matches as part of the England national team.
Moreover, Vardy became the Premier League top scorer in the 2019-2020 season at the age of 33. This set the record for the oldest top scorer in history. Not only that, but he also scored in the Champions League and Europa League, proving his presence on the European stage.
Vardy was more than just a simple striker. He was a source of energy both on and off the pitch. Especially during difficult times, Leicester rallied around Vardy, and he responded to those moments with goals. From the 'Great Escape' in the 2014-2015 season, where they avoided relegation, to the 20 goals he scored in the second division in 2023, leading Leicester's promotion, he also contributed 7 goals this season, continuing to be the team's top scorer.
Vardy scored Leicester's last home league goal against Brighton & Hove Albion in December. Following this, the team suffered an unfortunate record of nine consecutive matches without scoring and is currently at the bottom of the Premier League table, confirming their relegation.
Leicester teammate and long-time partner Mark Albrighton, who played with Vardy for ten years, said in an interview with the BBC.
"Vardy is the greatest player in Leicester's history. Everything he has accomplished will never be forgotten. He was such a familiar figure to the fans that it's hard to imagine a team without him. It will really take a long time."
Vardy was always direct and provocative on the pitch, but he was a warm person in the locker room. According to the BBC, Albrighton noted, "Many new players come into the team with preconceived notions about Vardy. But everyone soon finds out that he is an extremely ordinary person who loves his family and enjoys a simple life. He is genuinely someone who can care for everyone."
Vardy was the last remaining member of the 2015-2016 season championship squad at Leicester. His farewell signifies the end of an era.
The BBC noted, "Manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has recorded 17 losses in 22 matches, continuing an unstable position, and along with Vardy, key players like Daniel Iversen and Danny Ward are approaching the end of their contracts. Furthermore, Leicester faces the possibility of sanctions from the English Football League (EFL) due to violations of Premier League Financial Sustainability Regulations (PSR) concerning financial aspects. The EFL could enforce those sanctions once Leicester is part of the Championship."
Vardy's weekly salary was £140,000 (about 270 million won) during his Premier League days and was expected to decrease to about £100,000 (about 190 million won) in the Championship, so his farewell also directly relates to the club's financial relief.
The BBC questioned, "So where will Jamie Vardy go?"
Vardy said, "This is not retirement. I want to keep scoring goals. I hope to score more goals at Leicester. And after that, I want to keep playing. I still believe I can achieve more." The BBC reported that "Vardy completely denies retirement and is exploring his next destination. However, very few Championship teams can match his salary level."
According to the BBC, Wrexham AFC, owned by Ryan Reynolds, famous for the movie 'Deadpool' and regarded as the 'dream club' of Wales, is being mentioned as his next destination. Wrexham's story, aiming for promotion to the Championship in the National League, resembles Vardy's own life story.
Also, there is considerable interest from Major League Soccer (MLS) in the U.S. The BBC explained that "Charlotte FC's manager is Dean Smith, who was Vardy's former manager at Leicester, and former teammate Christian Fuchs is also a coach there. Smith attempted to sign Vardy last summer and still covets his talent."
In addition, there are rumors of a possible move to Saudi Arabia, but Vardy is expected to make a family-oriented choice considering his five children.
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