Leicester's 'greatest ever player' Jamie Vardy leaving club

Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester following its relegation from the Premier League, ending the striker's prolific 13-year stay at a team he famously helped to win the English title in 2016 at preseason odds of 5000-1.

The 38-year-old former England international will depart at the end of the season, Leicester said overnight in a statement in which the club described Vardy as its "greatest ever player".

The announcement came two days after Vardy took to social media to express his “anger and sadness” at a season he called a “total embarrassment,” with Leicester having been consigned to relegation with five matches still to play.

Vardy, who intends to continue playing, will go down as a Premier League great, having scored 143 goals — placing him No. 15 on the competition's all-time list. He once netted in a record 11 straight games in Leicester's improbable title-winning campaign that will be remembered as one of the great underdog stories in sporting history.

"Nine years ago, we did the impossible — we won the Premier League," Vardy said in a video message on Instagram in which he also recounted winning the FA Cup in 2021 and reaching the Champions League quarterfinals in 2017. “Those memories will last a lifetime.”

Vardy joined Leicester from non-league team Fleetwood Town for £1 million (now NZ$2.22 million) in 2012. An out-and-out centre forward, he was something of a throwback — preying on the shoulder of the centre back and using his pace and movement to get in behind and delivering a firm finish.

Vardy was often seen chugging an energy drink before going onto the field.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha described Vardy as a "unique" and "special" player.

"He holds a place in the hearts of everyone connected to Leicester City, and he certainly has my deepest respect and affection," Aiyawatt said. "I am endlessly grateful for everything he has given to this football club."

Vardy has five games left for Leicester. His final home match will be on May 18 against Ipswich.

Leicester has just 18 points from 33 games and is in next-to-last place.

“My only regret, and I’m devastated about this, is that I’m not saying goodbye on the back of a much better season,” Vardy said. “This isn’t the way I wanted my career here to finish.”

He insisted "this isn't retirement".

"I want to keep playing and do what I enjoy most: Scoring goals," he added. "Hopefully there's one or two more for Leicester before 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 do so much more."